The Gem of Ra
by tigereve920
Summary: ** Chapter 5 Is Up As Of 12/10/01 ** The Gem of Ra appears 5,000 years later after its disappearance in Ancient Egypt. Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina must go undercover as a married couple in order to retrieve the gem before it falls into the hands of Scarab.
1. Emerging Gem

MA! Marriage ****

A/N ~~ WOW! This is my first fic! I've only seen one fic that has actually put Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina together, so I've decided to try my hand at one. By the way the other fic that I read was excellent and it's right here in fanfiction.net! I would encourage you guys to check it out if you haven't already! The fanfic is Redemption by _Julie Horwitz._

I must say I never got to see the entire series, but from what I did see I thought that Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina would make a good couple. Ok…ok, I know what you're going to say…"He's married!" I feel that he deserves better then Tia. Plus the chemistry between the two shows that they really do like each other. Ok, my reasoning behind this is that the reason he's always yelling at Nefer-Tina for going out at night is because he's either jealous that she could be seeing a man or worried about her or maybe even both. 

This fic is something that came to me when I was trying to go to sleep. It is set in the future when Presley is 15 years old. I hope you guys like it! (at least a tiny bit…) 

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Disclaimer ~~ I am in now way affiliated with the cartoon series, "Mummies Alive!" or the DIC Corporation, and any of its affiliates. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only. This fanfic and its author do not intend to infringe on any copyrights. 

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On to the fanfic! 

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"This is it! This is the key to everything! Ja-Kal come quick! Armon!" Rath was yelling with excitement. He couldn't believe it. After so much searching he had finally found it. 

"What is it, Rath?" asked Ja-Kal as Armon came up behind him from the sacred box. There was Rath sitting at his desk looking at piles of scrolls, books, and other ancient documents that only Ra knows contained.

Rath was busy looking at the scroll forgetting that he had called them. "Well?!" Ja-Kal asked again, not happy with the interruption from his daily exercises. Well even a mummy has to keep in good shape he thought. "Rath?" he called again, crossing his arms.

"Yes, yes, yes! In a moment!!!" Rath irritability said looking up at Ja-Kal, "This is extremely important!" Rath continued to stare at the scrolls in front of him. He had to make sure he was entirely correct so as not to give the others false information.

"Hurry up, Rath! I'm sooo hungry!" Armon said as he rubbed his stomach. 

Finally Rath finished with the scrolls and got up from his chair. "Don't you ever think about anything besides food?" growled Rath. Then looking over to Ja-Kal, he saw a mummy that didn't look amused and had a frown of his face. "Calm down Ja-Kal! I have found what I'm looking for." 

Ja-Kal just looked at Rath and sighed. He knew what ever it was that somehow it was going to involve danger. But if Rath was all up in arms about it, then it must be important.

Armon was the first to remember that there was a member of their group missing. "Where's Nefer-Tina?" he asked looking around.

"She's out wrecking the Hot-Ra." Rath haughty said turning back to his scrolls, "Now, it's time to discuss a more important matter. I have found it!"

"Huh?" Armon said looking very confused. 

"I'm sure none of you would understand the importance of this scroll." Rath held up a very old looking scroll to the other mummies. Armon and Ja-Kal shook their heads. "You see, this scroll tells about the gem of Ra."

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"Hey guys!" Presley waved as he came walking in from school. "What's up?" Presley asked and walked over to where the other three mummies were standing. 

"Do not interrupt, young prince." Rath sternly told Presley, "We are in the middle of an important discussion."

"Um…okay. I'll just got watch something." Presley knew it was something important, so he just walked over to the sacred box…no the TV he thought to himself. Hanging around the mummies for around three years has rubbed off on him. He was flipping through when something caught his eye. It was an ad for an annual competition for married couples. Boring he thought. Marriage was one thing that was totally far from his mind. Right now he was trying to pass his mid terms. 

Presley looked at the clock. Man there's nothing good on right now he said to himself. In the end he decided to watch the ad for the marriage competition. At least he could get a good laugh out of it.

15 minutes later, Presley was asleep from watching the TV. As he was closing his eyes he saw the main prize of the competition, a beautiful red gem.

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Suddenly, Nefer-Tina burst in shouting, "Rath! Fix the Hot-Ra!"

Presley woke up startled and shouted, as he fell off the couch and onto the hard, cold floor. 

"O Prince, please forgive me for disturbing your slumber!" Nefer-Tina apologized and walked over to help Presley up. After she got him up, she started to dust him off. "I guess we should really clean up this place once in a while." she giggled. He only nodded in agreement.

"So what have you guys been up to?" Presley asked Nefer-Tina hoping that she knew what was going on.

"What are you talking abut my prince?" she asked him looking confused.

"You know! I came in here said hi, then Rath told me not to interrupt because you were in the middle of an important discussion. So, I went to go watch TV and then I fell asleep." Presley looked into Nefer-Tina's face searching for an answer, but he could only see confusion.

"I don't know what you're talking about? Wait! They're having a meeting without me?! Why didn't they come and find me?" Nefer-Tina yelled. Presley could tell the hurt and anger in her voice. They have never left Nefer-Tina out of a meeting before. He wondered why they were doing it now.

"Ja-Kal!" Nefer-Tina cried out. She couldn't believe it. How could Ja-Kal have let them have a meeting without her? She would've expected this type of behavior from Rath and maybe even Armon, but Ja-Kal? Well she wasn't going to lay around and do nothing. "O Prince, do you know where they are?"

Presley nodded and pointed to where Rath keep all his scrolls and books. "Nef…are you sure you're ok?"

"I am fine my prince. Just stay here while I find what is going on," she commanded, trying to hide the hint of hurt in her voice. "Oh when I get my hands on them, there's going to be trouble." She whispered to herself as she ran in the direction that Presley showed her.

Presley stood there for a moment. He could either watch some more boring TV or go along with Nefer-Tina. "Hey I'm the prince and I say I'm going!" he said as he tried to catch up to Nefer-Tina. This is gonna be better then TV he thought to himself and grinned. "One soap opera plus wrestling match coming up."

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One hour earlier, Ja-Kal and Armon were trying to come to terms with what Rath was telling them. 

"You can't be serious?!" exclaimed Ja-Kal, "The gem of Ra disappeared over 5,000 years ago."

"Ja-Kal is right. It's only a myth, Rath." Armon added.

"That is precisely what they want you to think. Other magicians, such as myself, believed that if many knew that the gem of Ra truly existed then many men would leave their jobs and families in order to search for it. As you can see, making sure that people thought it was a myth would leave our country in peace. Look! Look at the scroll! It proves that the gem does truly exist!" Rath shouted, holding up the ancient scroll to Ja-Kal and Armon.

Armon scanned the scroll, "It looks genuine, Ja-Kal." Although Armon couldn't read most of the scroll, being a warrior and all, but he knew the real thing when he saw it. Armon remembered his friend that taught him about scrolls and the things that made one real or fake. 

"Alright. Rath, do you have any clue as to what exactly the gem of Ra can do?" Ja-Kal said as he took a seat nearby.

"Of course!" Rath proudly replied. "The gem of Ra can destroy and/or capture the dead and souls. So, we have to get it before Scarab can. Used with the correct incantations it could also be used to destroy us and capture the soul of prince Rapses."

"No, we can't let him get the prince!" cried Armon. 

"It's settled then. We go find the gem of Ra. We must protect the prince at all costs." Ja-Kal told the others. I will not fail my prince once again he said to himself. "Rath do you know where the gem is located?"

"Yes, and I know exactly be what means to retrieve it." Rath said, as he plotted in his mind. Rath remembered that he had seen an interesting commercial on the magic box when Armon was eating yet another Beefy Burger.

"Hey guys shouldn't we go look for Nefer-Tina and fill her in on all this?" Armon asked, knowing exactly how the charioteer would react if she wasn't included in their meeting right now. "I could always use another Beefy Burger anyway."

At that moment Nefer-Tina, followed by Presley, ran into the room. Nefer-Tina looked furious as she walked over to Ja-Kal. Presley knew that things were going to get ugly and took cover behind a table. But before Nefer-Tina could open her mouth to yell at Ja-Kal, Rath grabbed the charioteer and smugly told her, "Is that anyway to approach your husband?"

"What are you saying, Rath?" Ja-Kal questioned him, both shocked and curious as to what Rath had planned.

"You know exactly what I'm saying. You, Ja-Kal, are now married Nefer-Tina." Rath said flatly.

At the sound of this Nefer-Tina cried out, "Oh Ra!" before she closed her eyes fainted. Armon was the closest, so he reached out and caught her before she hit the ground.

Ja-Kal could only cross his arms. "Rath, explain!" he ordered.

"There's no need to get cranky," he stated, "Don't worry. It's all part of my plan to retrieve the gem of Ra. I'll just make you both become alive again, but the side effect is that you won't be able to transform."

Ja-Kal could only glare at Rath. He knew Rath had a plan, but he never imagined that THIS plan was it. It was an extremely risky plan. They were responsible for protecting the prince, and with two guardians down, it would be hard to fight off anything that Scarab would throw at them. Even though Scarab has been calm for a while, he still couldn't give up his responsibility to protect the young prince.

Presley got out from behind the table and walked over to Rath. "Rath do you have a picture of it?"

"Of course my prince," Rath replied, as he handed him a scroll.

Presley opened it up and stared at it. The gem of Ra was beyond words. It was a deep rep in the shape of an oval. It looked so familiar, and then it hit him. Of course! It was the same gem that he saw on TV. It was the prize for first place in the annual marriage competition. Suddenly, Rath's plan made sense to him. The only way to get the gem was to join the competition and for that you need to be married. Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina were the only ones able to do it. Ja-Kal has had obvious experience in marriage and Nefer-Tina was the only female. 

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Rath had filled in Presley and Nefer-Tina when she had awaken about the powers of the gem of Ra. Presley was shocked to hear that the gem could kill the mummies. 

"Um, Rath, you do know what they are going to have to do in the competition?" Presley asked him. 

"Yes my prince, they have to compete in several athletic exercises and come out in first place in order to win the gem of Ra." he responded.

"And?"

"And that is all." He replied flatly.

"Rath?! You didn't see the entire ad for it did you?"

Rath had only seen the first 5 minutes of it before searching for more information, "No, my prince. I did not believe they would be showing any other activities. Besides, I'm sure Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina can handle anything that they must do."

"Rath, do you know that they will have to talk about themselves intimately. Like where they first met, first kiss, when he popped the question, and how their first time was…you know etc." Presley said the last one quickly. Sure he'd already had "the talk" with his mom, but it still made his skin crawl whenever he had to talk about it or heard others talking about it.

"Pop the question?" Rath asked curiously.

"You know, when he asked her to marry him." Presley looked at Rath wondering if he understood.

"Ah yes, when he asked for her hand in marriage. I guess we're going to have to talk about these things later. The two must come to an agreement on these things in order to win the gem of Ra." Rath said this as a reminder to himself as well as telling Presley.

Presley glanced over at the couch where Nefer-Tina was laying. When she had woken up she was extremely angry at all the male mummies, especially Rath. Armon had to hold her down before she attacked Rath. She was still struggling to escape Armon, but for a guy with one arm, he was extremely strong.

"Do not be angry with Rath, Nefer-Tina. We must do this to save the prince." Armon said trying to calm her down.

"I know that. I just want to kill him and the rest of you since you guys left me out of the meeting and I have no choice in his little marriage plan!" she shouted aiming it at Rath.

Presley giggled when he heard Nefer-Tina. She'll be ok he thought, just give her some time to cool down. 

As Presley went over to watch TV, he yawned and remembered that he hadn't had that much sleep today. He remembered that he was up studying like crazy last night until 2:00 A.M. and then his nap was interrupted by Nefer-Tina, so he laid down to have another nap before he had to go home and start his homework. 

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Ja-Kal stepped outside. He couldn't believe Rath's plan, but it was the only way to protect the prince. If Scarab got his hands on that gem it would all be over. He couldn't let that happen to them again. Ja-Kal wondered what the competition was about. Knowing Rath I bet he didn't even see all the information on it he thought to himself. Rath would always rather have his nose in his scrolls and books then watch the sacred box.

"Oh Ra, why has fate brought me here?" he asked the sky.

"Because you have to protect your prince."

Ja-Kal turned around and saw Presley smiling at him. "O Prince, I thought you had left already."

"Well, I was leaving, but then I saw you out here." Presley walked over next to Ja-Kal. "So what's up?"

"I have been thinking, my prince, about Rath's plan."

"Oh, well don't worry about it. Most of it is athletic competitions, which is so easy for you and Nefer-Tina." When Presley mentioned her name, Ja-Kal turned away and looked up at the sky.

"That is not what I'm worried about. It's Nefer-Tina. I overheard you talking to Rath about the other parts of the competition." Ja-Kal clenched the rail in front of him. "I have never been unfaithful to my wife, Tia. I don't know if I'll be a very convincing husband. And if I can't be a convincing husband then there is no possibility of us winning, which means we lose the gem of Ra."

Presley looked up at his guardian. He couldn't imagine the internal battle Ja-Kal was having with himself. His wife or his prince. Rath knew that Ja-Kal had a wife, why would he pick him to go ahead with this. Maybe Rath knew something that he was missing Presley thought to himself. Rath does not make mistakes. Whatever he had in mind, Presley knew he had to support him all the way. Right now that meant convincing Ja-Kal that he could do it.

"Ja-Kal, you're the only one that can do this. You're the only one that has experience being married. If Rath or Armon did it we wouldn't put up a good enough front. The judges wouldn't fall for the hoax. Please Ja-Kal, we need you to do this. You're our only hope for getting the gem of Ra," Presley pleaded.

Ja-Kal let go of the rail and looked at Presley, "You are right my prince. I must put my personal feelings aside."

Presley was so happy. He hugged Ja-Kal and said, "Besides, someone has to make sure Nefer-Tina doesn't attack the judges."

Ja-Kal was at first surprised at the young prince, but soon found it to be comforting. He did truly care for the prince as his son. Snapping back into reality he told Presley, "It is getting late my prince. You should go home and do your educational studies."

"I guess you're right, Ja-Kal." Presley let go of Ja-Kal, grabbed his backpack and ran off. As Ja-Kal watched the young prince run off there was a faint hint of a smile on his lips. 

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Ja-Kal went back inside to check on the other mummies. Rath was busy looking at scrolls and mumbling to himself about Nefer-Tina being an ingrate. Ja-Kal let out a silent chuckle. His prince was right, if Rath and Nefer-Tina had been the ones to go they would have probably killed each other by the first day. At the far end of the room Armon was looking through the food box. On the couch was Nefer-Tina, looking as angry as ever. Ja-Kal sighed, he had to make sure Nefer-Tina was going to go through this, and that meant talking to her. His track record with Nefer-Tina hasn't been that great ever since they have been mummies and the prince revealed to them that "Nefer" was really "Nefer-Tina". She was always going out to the nightclubs when she should have been in her sarcophagus. When she did come home, he was always there to give her a stern lecture. He only did it because he didn't want her to get hurt. Being the leader meant that he had to take care of the prince and the other mummies.

"Nefer-Tina, can I talk with you for a second?" he asked her, hoping that she wasn't too angry with him for not trying to find her for the meeting. "Listen I'm sorry about the meeting."

Nefer-Tina's head perked up when she heard him apologize. "Why should I forgive you?" she asked, secretly grinning since she knew this was hard for their leader. Nefer-Tina turned away and purposefully had some of her white hair cover her face for fear that she might start smiling.

"We're all sorry, Nefer-Tina. We should have stopped in the beginning and went to find you."

"That's not good enough." 

"What?!" Ja-Kal was surprised. He had apologized twice to her already. What did this woman want? 

"You heard me. You never apologized for making me your…wife." Nefer-Tina was on the verge of laughing now. This is so funny she thought to herself.

"It was Rath's idea!" he exclaimed in defense.

"Did someone call my name?" Rath said peeking over a scroll. "Ah, it's just you two little love birds over there," he grinned, "Please don't let me keep you from your talks."

Ja-Kal glared at Rath, as Nefer-Tina burst out laughing. She couldn't keep it in any longer. It was just too entertaining and funny! Ja-Kal looked like he wanted to kill Rath at the moment.

Ja-Kal looked over at the laughing mummy next to him and glared at her as well. He didn't like being tricked, but then again it was Nefer-Tina. If she could keep her gender hidden from him for years, then she could trick him into thinking she was upset.

"Nefer-Tina, how many times must I tell you. If you two are going to get the gem of Ra, you are going to have to start acting like a true married couple. And that means that you can not fool around with his mind." Rath scolded.

Armon had just finished his meal and walked over to the other three mummies. "What's so funny Nefer-Tina?"

"Oh, nothing," she said remembering the look that Ja-Kal had given her earlier.

"Fine, I'm going to go watch the little man in the sacred box now." Armon walked over to the magic box and turned it on. "Mr. Science" was on.

"So Rath, how are Ja-Kal and me going to convince the people that we're married?" asked Nefer-Tina.

"Simple. I'm going to cast a spell on both of you that will turn you into your former selves. Then all I have to do is just forge the marriage documents. The rest is up to you. Now leave me alone. I must concentrate!" he barked. 

Nefer-Tina rolled her eyes as she walked away. She was headed to go watch the sacred box with Armon when Ja-Kal grabbed her arm. "What is it with you men and grabbing my arm," she shouted.

Ja-Kal looked sternly at her, "Nefer-Tina, we have to talk about the events in the competition. I'm not sure you know what we totally have to do."

She yawned and replied, "It's easy, we do some athletic stuff and answer some questions and we're out with the gem of Ra. No problem."

"Do you know exactly what those questions consist of?"

"No…"

Ja-Kal got closer to Nefer-Tina, making sure that no one else could hear. He didn't want to be embarrassed again. "The questions are about us," he said pointing to Nefer-Tina and himself, "and how we meet and our intimate relations."

Nefer-Tina gasped, "Oh Ra! I never knew we had to lie but about that?!" Nefer-Tina turned and walked away. "No, no, no! I won't do it!"

"Nefer…"

"No, Ja-Kal!" she cried, "That's asking too much!"

"And you think I have not felt the same way?! I who had a wife and child!" he shouted back at her.

Armon and Rath looked at the two mummies yelling at each other, almost at each other's throats. Rath sighed. He didn't think that they would have such trouble doing this. Rath could not believe he had been wrong about the two. "Maybe this wasn't such a good…" Rath started, shaking his head.

"No, Rath, we must do this in order to protect the prince!" Ja-Kal cut in. He then looked over at Nefer-Tina, "Please, we must do this for the prince. Please do this for us. Do this for _me_." 

Nefer-Tina looked around at her friends. Rath stopped working, Ja-Kal was almost on his hands and knees, and even Armon was pulled away from the sacred box. This is really important to them and the prince she thought. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but she was the only female. "Ok, I'll do it."

With that everyone seemed content and went back to their tasks. Ja-Kal saw that Nefer-Tina was extremely tried. Nefer-Tina saw the look on his face and said, "Yeah, yeah, I'll go to my sarcophagus, Dad!"

"You mean husband!" said a voice from behind the scrolls and books.

"Rath!" yelled Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina unanimously.

"It was funny guys," chuckled Armon.

"Remind me again why I'm doing this!" wailed Nefer-Tina as she was getting into her sarcophagus.

"For the prince," Ja-Kal replied.

"Nefer-Tina!" yelled Rath.

"What?!" she said irritably. It's been a long and trying day and she wanted to get some rest.

"Since I'm busy with getting the gem of Ra, I won't be able to fix the Hot-Ra," he told her.

The only reply he got from Nefer-Tina was a loud thud against the inside of her sarcophagus. Nefer-Tina had hit the inside of her cover with her fist, since she was too angry to speak. Rath smiled to himself. Yes, today was a good day he said to himself.

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Ja-Kal sat on the couch with Armon trying to find the ad for the marriage competition that Rath and Presley had seen. He knew both of them had not seen the entire thing and needed to find out everything about it in order to reclaim the gem of Ra.

Several hours passed and still the commercial did not appear. As soon as Ja-Kal's eyelids started to fall, the commercial appeared on the sacred box. Ja-Kal shook himself awake and closely watched everything.

Armon got up in the night and noticed that Ja-Kal was glued to the sacred box. He went and got a snack, but wished he could have had a Beefy Burger. When he finished he decided to join Ja-Kal on the couch. Armon sat down next to Ja-Kal and asked, "How are thing's going, Ja-Kal?"

Ja-Kal nearly fell out of his chair when he saw what Nefer-Tina and him had to do. "Oh Ra!" he cried. 

The commercial aired once again and Armon saw the entire thing. His response to it was the same as Ja-Kal.

"Oh Ra! Has Nefer-Tina seen this?" Armon asked.

"No, but when she does find out we better make sure she's tied down," Ja-Kal answered as he covered his face with his hands.

"Tomorrow is going to be a long day," Armon stated.

"Yes, yes it is," Ja-Kal answered back weakly.

"What has Rath gotten you two into," Armon said, looking down at Ja-Kal and then over at Nefer-Tina's sarcophagus. "Maybe the prince will be able to help us tomorrow!" Armon said, trying to cheer up Ja-Kal. 

"We should get some rest now," Ja-Kal said turning off the sacred box. 

Armon nodded as the two went off into their respective sarcophagus.

****

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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A/N ~~ Next chapter, Nefer-Tina lets out a startling secret! 

I bet you're wondering what exactly they have to do. All I can tell you is that the rating might go up in the following chapters when Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina go in the competition! 

G Ok…time to beg…I hope no one is taking pictures! 

Please, Please, Please, review this! It can be as simple as, "Okay." If you hate it? Then tell me! And why! I need feedback here people! If you love it then "Ra bless you!" :)


	2. Alive Once Again

MA! Marriage - Chap. 2 ****

A/N ~~ Okay, I know there wasn't ANY romance in the first chapter…but I promise you there will be some *mushy* stuff coming up. I've never really written love scenes, and I feel that anyone who can has a lot of talent. So, I'm gonna take some notes from some of the more prominent fanfic writers out there before I get into that.

Instead of writing a chapter and just putting it out; I spent more time checking for grammar mistakes, being more descriptive, trying to make this story enjoyable…etc. etc. 

Oh and on a side note, I found out that the TV is not called the "magic box" (my bad!), but the "sacred box"! I fixed the terminology on the last chapter as well.

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Disclaimer ~~ I am in now way affiliated with the cartoon series, "Mummies Alive!" or the DIC Corporation, and any of its affiliates. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only. This fanfic and its author do not intend to infringe on any copyrights. 

It took me several days and nights to get the story to the point were it was safe for public eyes! 

The FDA, FBI, CIA, CNN, UPN, TLC, FOX, and um….MTV approved it so you should too! Peace out! ;) 

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On to the fanfic! 

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Chapter 2: Alive Once Again

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Nefer-Tina smiled to herself as she got out of her sarcophagus. She stretched her arms into the air and yawned. She combed her slender fingers through her bleach white hair. Back in Ancient Egypt, she would always comb her luscious black locks with a finely crafted bush, made from the finest horsehair. She remembered that her mother had given her that brush for her 16th birthday. Nefer-Tina had no need for a brush these days, since she was a mummy. "At least I don't get any split ends or knots in my hair," she mused to herself.

"Hey guys! I had the weirdest dream last night," she said, tugging at a bandage that had gotten caught in her sarcophagus. When no reply came, she moved her attention away from the bandage and darted her eyes around the room. "Hm…that's weird. I thought they would've been awake by now," she said to the cold room.

Nefer-Tina walked around the Sphinx. She rarely got any time for herself. Going to the nightclubs didn't count, since there was always people dancing, drinking, and talking to each other. Nefer-Tina started to gaze off into the emptiness recalling all the fun times she has had going to the clubs…

__

"Hi, I'm Ryan. What's your name?" the gorgeous brown-eyed man asked Nefer-Tina.

Nefer-Tina would have blushed if she was still alive and replied, "I'm Nefer-Tina."

Ryan took Nefer-Tina's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently. "Pleased to meet you, Nefer-Tina. Care to join me for a drink?" he asked, looking into her eyes and giving her a warm smile.

"I'd love too," she dreamily replied. 

They shared a couple of drinks at the bar and then decided to dance. Nefer-Tina was having a blast. The drinks were good and the music was great. Plus, not only was she dancing to a *very* attractive guy, but he was also an excellent dancer. Everything was perfect, but then she remembered the time.

"Oh Ra!" she exclaimed. A frown formed on her small features.

"Did I tell you that you're funny!" he said laughing at the expression Nefer-Tina used. "What's the problem?"

"I…I have to go now!" Nefer-Tina cursed at herself. "Ja-Kal is going to kill me! I'm sorry but I have to go now. Good bye!" Nefer-Tina's mind was telling her to leave, but every part of her body wanted to stay. 

"Wait! Can I at least have a phone number?" he called to Nefer-Tina, but she never heard him since she was out of the club by then.

Nefer-Tina let a sigh escape her lips. She had given up so much for Ja-Kal over the last couple years. Even in Egypt she had to put her personal feelings aside for Ja-Kal. She knew that if she told him how she really felt that she would have destroyed their friendship. 

Other the last 3,000 years, her feelings for Ja-Kal subsided. Nefer-Tina couldn't tell if they were really gone, but at least they weren't troubling her mind all the time any more. 

Nefer-Tina sat down on the table and rested her head on its cool surface. "I hope that all that marriage stuff was just a really weird dream," she mumbled under her breath.

"You wish," came a hiss from behind her. Nefer-Tina groaned. The gem of Ra was real, and she had to go through with the plan. It wasn't all a dream. 

"Damn," she muttered and then turned her head to see who it was. He was hunched over her with an arrogant smirk on his face. "Really Rath, you should change those bandages every thousand years," Nefer-Tina teased, waving her hands in front of her nose.

"If all women were like you, I'd be surprised if the world didn't fall into chaos!" he growled.

Nefer-Tina was going to reply to his insulting remark, but then her stomach growled. "You're lucky, I'm hungry!" she said, and marched over to the white stone sarcophagus.

Nefer-Tina opened the door to the white stone sarcophagusand looked inside. It was empty. She growled in anger, slammed the door shut, and turned around with her arms crossed.

Rath chuckled nearby. "Looks like Armon had another snack at night."

"Armon!" Nefer-Tina shouted, "Armon, wake up!" Nefer-Tina went over to Armon's sarcophagus and knocked on the top.

"Just try and wake him. Armon sleeps like a rock," Rath informed Nefer-Tina.

"At least he's silent," Nefer-Tina grinned, "Unlike others who happen to snore!"

"Lies!"

"You could shake the great pyramids!" A half-smile tugged at her mouth.

"I will not listen to this!" Rath picked up a couple of his scrolls and walked off into another room in the Sphinx.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ja-Kal rose from his sarcophagus. Nefer-Tina and Rath's arguments had awaken him.

Armon had woken up earlier and was now planted in front of the sacred box. There was also a deep sadness in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Armon?" Ja-Kal asked, concerned about his friend. Ja-Kal sat down next to Armon on the couch.

"There is no more food left," Armon simply replied, looking back at the sacred box. "I wish I had some of mother's home cooking with me."

"Don't worry. We'll just ask the prince to give us the power of George Washington, so we can go got some more food."

Armon's face was brightened with a smile and dreams of Beefy Burgers filled his mind.

"Where's Nefer-Tina?" Ja-Kal asked, worried that she had seen the marriage competition commercial already.

"She took the Jetcycle out," Armon answered, flipping through the channels on the sacred box.

"Oh…" he said softly. 

Ja-Kal got up and proceed to do his daily exercises. He would usually do 50 push-ups, 100 crunches, and 50 pull-ups. There was a bar in the Sphinx that was perfect for doing the pull-ups. Although, Ja-Kal did have to jump up in order to grip it due to its height. Thankfully, since he was dead, Ja-Kal didn't have the problem of sweating and having to take a shower. 

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several hours passed and Rath had finally finished preparing for the spell he had to cast on Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina. Presley had arrived with Nefer-Tina in tow. When Nefer-Tina was out riding the Jetcycle, she had spotted Presley and given him a ride to the Sphinx. He had several magazines with him. Ja-Kal managed to catch some of the titles of the magazines, as he helped Presley carry the pile. One was called "Women Today" and another "Fashion Elite". Ja-Kal assumed that they were for Nefer-Tina, since the young prince was not greatly experienced in female clothing.

"Rath we're ready," Ja-Kal said.

"Let me see that, Rath," Nefer-Tina said grabbing the scroll from Rath's hands. 

"Careful with that!" Rath exclaimed, taking the scroll from her. "We don't want to break it before we even begin the spell!"

"Fine!" she said rudely.

"How exactly is this going to work?" asked Presley.

"We shall ask Osiris to grant Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina renewed life," Rath replied. 

"But, isn't he the ruler of the dead?"

"Yes my prince, but through Horus, he is also regarded as the source of renewed life."

"So let's get the spell started already," Presley ordered.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been 45 minutes, and Rath was still chanting the words on the scroll. 

"We call upon you God Osiris, ruler of the realm of the dead in the mysterious region below the western horizon. We call upon you God Osiris, who is brother and husband to Goddess Isis. We ask that through your son, Horus, you grant these two renewed life."

The room was dark. Nobody spoke. The only light was two large torches on either side of the room. Everyone was getting antsy. Even Ja-Kal, who was accustomed to spending hours alone in the wilderness.

"When is this going to be over?" Presley asked Armon, who happened to be sitting next to him.

"I don't know, but I could sure use a snack break," he answered, rubbing his stomach as it growled.

"Yeah, me too…" Presley began to respond back, when a faint, yet noticeable mist crept it's way through the doorway and into the floor of the room.

Nefer-Tina who looked like she had be drifting off, patted Ja-Kal on the back, so he too could view the strange event.

Small light particles began to appear from the ceiling and went in sort of a pattern towards the center of the circle they had formed. A faint moan rang through the room. It grew louder with each passing second. 

Rath did not seemed phased by the strange occurrences and continued to read the scroll.

The mist grew heavier and the moans grew louder. The small light particles lost their pattern and began flying around the room at insane speeds. Presley covered his head, in fear, that one of the particles would hit him.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the room and a shriek, almost like a banshee, followed. 

"What's going on!" Nefer-Tina yelled over the nose, clasping her hands to her ears.

"What?!" Presley yelled, holding his hands up to his ears as well.

Next to him, Armon was holding his left arm up to his left ear, and trying very hard to block out the noise that was going into his right ear.

"What's…" she began, but then a small earthquake that shook the room and its inhabitants, followed by a loud explosion in the center of the circle. 

The bright light from the explosion nearly blinded everybody, and caused them to either look down or in the opposite direction from where the explosion came.

The room grew silent and the wind died down.

"Is everyone ok?" Ja-Kal asked, a look of concern and fear on his face.

"I think so," Nefer-Tina answered simply.

"Look!" yelled Presley.

In the middle of the circle, the floor was opening up. The floor shook once again, and from the hole rose a small box. The mist surrounding the room was sucked into the hole. With a large howl and burst of light, the floor closed and left the box upon the floor.

"It is finished," Rath simply said. He walked over to the floor and carefully grabbed the box.

"Thank Ra!" Nefer-Tina breathed a sign of relief.

"Ja-Kal, you're still…well dead," Presley stated.

"So it appears my prince."

"O Prince, they must drink from these vials," Rath said, and carefully brought two clear glass bottles towards the others. He handed Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina each a vial.

"Rath, Ra help you if this turns me into a cat," Nefer-Tina warned the scribe. 

Ja-Kal turned to Nefer-Tina and said, "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The two mummies drank the clear liquid in their vials.

"What happens next, Rath?" Presley asked.

"Watch," he replied, voice flat.

Nefer-Tina waited after she had finished drinking the vial, when she felt a pressure in her chest. She dropped the vial to the floor, from shock, and it shattered into a million pieces.

A tingling sensation continued through her entire body. From the tip of her toes, through her legs, up her body, and even through her hair. It was a warmth she had not felt in thousands of years. Involuntarily, she took in a breath of air and the beating of her heart started.

The others looked on in astonishment and shock. Instead of the usual cold gray skin and ghostly white hair, Nefer-Tina's skin was now a light tan color and her long locks were raven black.

Ja-Kal's pale complexion has also changed. His skin was a darker tan then Nefer-Tina's and his hair was dark brown.

"Wow! You guys are…are, alive!" exclaimed Presley.

"Yeah, but we're still wearing these dirty, old bandages," Nefer-Tina complained.

"Nefer-Tina, you look prettier alive," Armon noted, while the others agreed with a nod.

"Um…thanks, Armon," Nefer-Tina replied, not really wanting the extra attention. She already felt self-conscious enough.

"Thanks to O Prince. I have been supplied with the necessary knowledge to produce the clothing and other articles you will require on your mission." Rath hand Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina their respective bags.

"Oh and here, Nefer-Tina!" Presley hands her a pile of magazines. "It has a bunch of girl stuff in there you could probably use."

Nefer-Tina grabbed her bags and the magazines and called out, "I'll be back soon!"

Presley chuckled, knowing full well that women take hours trying to get ready. 

"What's so funny?" Armon asked.

"You'll see."

"Now hurry up and go change, Ja-Kal," Rath said in a huff. "The prince and I must go make the power of George Washington."

Armon rubbed his hands together, "Time for a sandwich!" 

Presley also rubbed his hands together, "Show me the money!"

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Ja-Kal had gotten changed in around 15 minutes. He was wearing a dark blue suit with dark shiny shoes.

"What is taking her so long!" Rath exclaimed impatiently, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Relax, Rath. I'm sure she's just having a hard time putting on these new clothes," Ja-Kal defended.

"Yeah, you should see how long it takes my mom to get ready," Presley added.

"Since, Nefer-Tina is _obviously_ wasting time with frivolous things, I suggest that you, O Prince, start showing Ja-Kal the things of this time," Rath said.

Presley showed Ja-Kal the things of the future. He showed him that "the power of George Washington" was called money, and should be called that from here on. In addition, he showed Ja-Kal what a vending machine was , how to put money into it, and how to open the food or drink from it. Then, Presley told him about airplanes, airports, and hotels. 

Two hours had almost passed when Presley asked Ja-Kal, "Did you know that there is going to be a ball at the competition?"

Before Ja-Kal could acknowledge, Nefer-Tina stepped into the room.

"Did I hear right? There's a ball!" she squealed.

"This is why she should have been tied up," Ja-Kal whispered to Armon. Then he said, turning to Nefer-Tina, "Yes, there is going…" Ja-Kal was at a loss for words.

Nefer-Tina was clad in a black skirt that was longer in the back and showed off her curves. The skirt had a small rhinestone decoration in the front. Her shirt was sleeveless and said "Princess" in small rhinestones. She wore black sandal pumps, which made her almost the height of Ja-Kal. Her black hair was simply bushed.

"You look great, Nefer-Tina," Presley commented.

"Thanks! So, we're going to the ball, right?!" she exclaimed.

Ja-Kal snapped back into reality. "No!" he said, crossing his arms.

"Ja-Kal!" she wailed.

"The ball is merely optional. There is no need to go. We just do the athletic competitions and questions," he stated.

"Suppose that you did in fact go to this ball," Rath informed. "There are a set of rules you must follow. It's all very formal."

"It would make a good impression and increase our chances of getting the gem of Ra!" Nefer-Tina intercepted, beginning to raise her voice.

"Nefer-Tina," Ja-Kal said, glancing at the clock, "we are running out of time. We shall discuss this later." And that was the end of that argument.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Presley had some how managed to give Nefer-Tina the world's quickest lesson the 1990s. Rath, being a scribe, had forged the marriage documents they would need to give to the judges. In addition, using his expertise in magic, he created wedding rings for Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina. They had taken the newly fixed Hot-Ra to the airport. Nefer-Tina drove, much to Rath's distaste, but they got there on time to board the plane.

"Ok, here's the tickets and some money. Now don't forget anything I taught you two!" Presley advised. Then suddenly he remembered another thing, "Oh wait! Almost forgot! You have to sign in under the name Carnovan."

Ja-Kal nodded and said, "Good bye my prince." Then turning to Rath and Armon, he said, "I am entrusting the safety and well being of the prince in your hands."

"You have no need to worry. Just bring back the gem of Ra, Ja-Kal," Rath declared. Armon nodded in agreement.

Nefer-Tina hugged Presley, Armon, and even Rath, when she said her good bye. "Bye! I'm going to miss all of you!" she exclaimed and waved.

"Let's go, Nefer-Tina," Ja-Kal ordered and gently grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the check in.

Still in shock from the hug, Rath nudged Armon and whispered, "I don't think I should have made her alive again. Her female emotions are getting to her."

The three watched as Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina handed in their boarding passes and walked into the plane hand in hand, to keep up the lie of them being newly weds.

"You know," Presley chuckled, "they do make a good couple."

"Just don't let them hear you say that or they'll kill you," Rath said in a sarcastic tone.

"Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina would never do that to the prince, Rath!" Armon exclaimed.

Presley giggled, and Rath rolled his eyes and replied, "Let's just go get you some Beefy Burgers with out new found wealth." 

At the sound of that, Presley's eyes lit up greedily staring at the wad of money Rath had in his hand. "Hey, can we stop by the mall on our way over?"

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Nefer-Tina had first heard that they were going to be flying in the air, her heart had nearly jumped out of her throat. Presley and Ja-Kal managed to coax her fears and gotten her to board the plane.

Once on board, she had murmured, "I would rather have my feet on the ground then fly in this thing."

Ja-Kal once again had to convince her that the sacred box was not real, and that not every plane crashed.

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina sat in the cabin. Silence thudded between them as the plane roared on towards San Diego. There the marriage competition would take place.

Nefer-Tina studied the new ring on her finger. It might have been a small diamond on the ring, but it was still beautiful. Next to her, Ja-Kal was also looking at his golden wedding band. Thoughts of his marriage to Tai filled his mind, but he gently pushed them aside, remembering his promise to the prince.

There were five minutes into their flight when the seat beat sign went off. Nefer-Tina decided to read some of the magazines during the flight, instead of talking to Ja-Kal, since she knew that they would eventually end up at the previous fight. Nose uplifted slightly, she flipped the magazine pages over rapidly, pausing only now and then.

Nefer-Tina glanced at Ja-Kal, then quickly moved her eyes back to the magazine. A loose strand of black hair drifted down along her cheek, and she tucked in back. When she glanced up again, he was looking at her. Her gaze snapped back to the magazine.

Ja-Kal shifted in his seat uneasily, and his knee bumped hers. She hardly seemed to notice, except her leg moved away from his. Coughing, he pulled out the airplane safety guide and studied the layout. Then he stuffed the guide back into its pouch, leaned back into the plane seat and closed his eyes. His fingers curled around the end of the armrests as he took a few deep breaths. It looked as if he were dozing.

Ja-Kal straightened up in his seat and reached into the pouch to pull out a packet of peanuts. When he found none he called Nefer-Tina.

"Hm-hm," she murmured.

"Did you get any peanuts?"

She answered by showing him not one, but two bags of peanuts. Ja-Kal's eyes widened at the sight.

"I would like my peanuts back," he said, trying to reach for a bag.

Nefer-Tina moved her hand holding the bags to the window, so they would be out of reach of Ja-Kal.

Ja-Kal used his lighting-quick reflexes to grab both Nefer-Tina's arms and push them up against the window. Nefer-Tina lost grip of the peanuts and Ja-Kal grabbed them before they hit the floor. He tossed her a bag, and proceeded to open up his newly recovered bag of honey roasted peanuts, grinning all the while.

"Ja…" she began to yell, but several passengers' heads swiveled, staring at her. She subsided back into her seat.

"Damn him," she said under her breath. In sheer frustration, she balled her hand into a fist and let it fall to the armrest, rattling her seat.

Later, the stewardess came by and asked if they wanted any drinks. 

"Water," Ja-Kal said.

As the stewardess was handing him the ice cold water, a bit of turbulence shook the plane and the cold water fell on Ja-Kal. Ja-Kal yelled from the shock.

"Oh sorry, sir!" the stewardess exclaimed as she handed him a towel.

Bent double in her seat, Nefer-Tina was gasping for breath, her fingers gripping the edge of the seat in front of her.

"Nefer-Tina!" He reached his hand towards her. "Are you ok?"

She looked up, and a laugh burst from her. His look of concern melted into annoyance.

"Sorry," she squeaked, "I know it's not funny…" She doubled over again, shoulders shaking.

Nefer-Tina pounded her fist on the armrest, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ja-Kal." She sat up, took a deep, tremulous breath, looked at his face, and let out a hoot of laughter.

"For the sake of Ra!" Snatching another towel, he shoved past the cart and headed for the restroom.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the trip was incident-free. They finally arrived at the airport in San Diego. It was total chaos. Luckily, a man held a sign that said, "Marriage Competition Participants" and they had followed him to a white car with their bags. Another couple, who seemed much in love, joined them.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you when the water fell on you, Ja-Kal," Nefer-Tina said, as they threw their bags into the back of the car and climbed in after.

"I guess it was sort of funny," he replied. "Just don't make a habit of it. Couples do not usually make fun of each other."

Nefer-Tina nodded as she put on her seat beat.

During the ride to the hotel they would be staying at, the other couple keep calling each other "Snuggles" and "Sweetie Pie".

Nefer-Tina whispered to Ja-Kal in total disgust, "Do we have to do that too?"

"No. Some married couples find that calling each other by pet names is more romantic."

"Is that so, _Honey Bun_?" she said, but her voice was teasing.

"Yes." His voice flat, rigid, closed. Seconds later he added, in a playful tone, "_Sweetie_." 

Nefer-Tina looked at Ja-Kal and they both burst out laughing. The couple sitting in front of them turned and gave them a funny look. Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina started laughing even harder.

"We're here, ladies and gentlemen." The man driving got out of the chair and opened the trunk, taking out all the bags. "Just head on into the lobby and check in. Your bags will be waiting for you when your room is ready. Don't forget to hand in your marriage documents."

With that, Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina walked into the grand hotel. Inside the lobby was a small table with two elderly ladies signing in people.

"Name please."

"Carnovan," Ja-Kal said handing in the proof of marriage.

The old lady saw his first name and exclaimed, "Wow! That's a interesting name, if I've ever seen one." Then remembering where she was, "Thank you and have a nice day. Feel free to wander around." The elderly lady smiled and turned her attention to the next person in line.

"I'm hungry," Nefer-Tina said, rubbing her stomach.

"But you just ate on the airplane. Don't tell me I married Armon," Ja-Kal grinned.

Nefer-Tina put her hands on her hips and replied, "I wouldn't call that food!"

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina walked into the café to have a bite to eat, they were each grabbed by a group of their own gender. 

"Nefer-Tina, meet me in the lobby in two hours!" Ja-Kal yelled as he was dragged off into the bar. 

The bar smelled of hard liquor and smoke. All the windows were closed, and the few lights in there were dimmed down, giving the room a gloomy appearance.

"Don't worry son!" came a cheerful call, "We do this to all the first-timers."

Ja-Kal straightened his suit and sat down at a large table. He looked in the direction the call came and saw an old man.

"By the way, I'm Bill Rogers!" The old man was going bald, by it didn't seem to phase him. He was dressed in a suit and was a little overweight. 

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Ja-Kal Carnovan."

"Whoa…interesting name."

"So I've heard," Ja-Kal replied.

"So where are you from, Ja-Kal?" asked another man at the table.

"Egypt."

"Really. You know, for someone from Egypt you sure got a good American accent."

"Well, my parents were from Egypt, and when I was a baby they brought me here," he said, trying to cover his earlier mistake.

The men ordered some drinks from the bartender.

"You gonna have some, Ja-Kal?" asked Bill.

"No thanks," he simply answered. Ja-Kal wanted to have a clear head though this entire competition.

The men continued to talk and have drinks as the time went on. Ja-Kal just sat there half listening to their conversations, half thinking about the days in store. Almost as if Bill could read his mind, he told Ja-Kal, "Here, this is a list of all the topics your wife and you will be required to answer."

Ja-Kal was grateful for such a gift. "Thank you."

"Your welcome. I was once a new comer such as yourself," Bill said, shifting in his chair. 

Bill went on to talk about his past experiences in the competition and Ja-Kal hung on to every word like a bee to honey.

Glancing at the clock, Ja-Kal saw that it had been a couple hours already. "Well I must be going now. I told Nefer-Tina I'd meet her at the lobby."

"Oh you mean you're the lucky man with that gorgeous wife!" Bill exclaimed, calling the attention of the other men.

Ja-Kal nodded, unsure of how he had heard about Nefer-Tina.

"You lucky dog! She sure is candy to the eye," said the same man that asked him where he was from. He was around six feet tall, muscular, light skin and had blue eyes. "She's gotta be great in bed with a body like that. I wonder what it's like to be with her." He grinned at the others, making some rude gestures with his hands. 

He heard a few other men whistling. Ja-Kal's fists grew hard and his face red. He did not find it amusing that this man found Nefer-Tina attractive and was slandering her good name.

"Dan, listen to yourself. You're a married man," Bill informed. "Don't worry, Ja-Kal. I think the beer's getting to him."

"Well I must be going now," Ja-Kal said, a little calmer.

As he was walking out the door, Dan yelled, "Hey, when you're finished with her. Let me give her a try!" 

"Dan!" Bill called out.

No one saw the hole Ja-Kal left with his fist in the doorway as he walked out.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"He is sweet on you, I think. And a good thing too, I've never seen a more handsome man."

Nefer-Tina blushed at Mrs. Woo's comment. "Thank you," she said, politely.

Mrs. Elaine Woo was three inches shorter then Nefer-Tina, but was three years her senior. It was the Woo's fourth time participating in the competition.

Nefer-Tina and three other ladies were outside in a pavilion. There were a great variety of flowers surrounding them.

"You have quite an unusual name, Nefer-Tina," commented the lady in the flowered dress sitting across from Nefer-Tina.

Nefer-Tina's face went hard, "I don't think that my name is of any concern to you."

The lady in the flowered dress rose from her seat. She opened her mouth to counter, but Mrs. Woo put her hand up. "Now, now ladies. Save some of that energy for the competition tomorrow," she said and winked at Nefer-Tina. "Loraine, I would think that someone of your class would not go as low as to insult people."

Mrs. Loraine Faire only responded by uplifting her nose, and turning back to a magazine she was reading.

"So, Nefer-Tina, how has your first few weeks being married been?" asked the blonde on her left.

"What do you mean?" Nefer-Tina asked, confused.

"You know!" the blonde said, lowering her voice, "How has he been in bed?"

"Oh!" Nefer-Tina stuttered. "Well…um…"

"Was he that bad?!" she exclaimed, saying it fairly loud.

Nefer-Tina was turning as red as a tomato from the embarrassment. Nefer-Tina was seconds from punching the blonde, when the person she least expected came to her rescue.

"Cindy dear! Leave her alone. If she doesn't want to say, then don't pressure her," Loraine said to the blonde. 

Nefer-Tina sighed inwardly. Finally, the blonde would leave her alone.

"Besides, I'm sure she hasn't even consummated her marriage with him yet," she whispered to Cindy, and the two giggled.

Mrs. Woo shook her head at the two giggling ladies. "Don't worry about those two, Nefer-Tina. Tomorrow there will be more class in this hotel." 

Nefer-Tina didn't hear the last sentence Mrs. Woo said. She was looking off into the distance and saw Ja-Kal coming towards her with a hard face.

Ja-Kal came to the pavilion and nodded, "Good afternoon ladies." Then he turned to Nefer-Tina and said, voice flat, with a hard note, "Nefer-Tina, our room is ready."

"Excuse me ladies," she said, politely, putting on a fake smile. 

Ja-Kal put out his arm for Nefer-Tina and they walked towards the hotel lobby.

"Ja-Kal, why are you so tense?" Did something happen?" she whispered, concerned.

"No. Do not worry. It was nothing." He said, and they continued on towards the lobby. 

When they were a safe distance away from the pavilion, Ja-Kal asked, "You were supposed to meet me in the lobby thirty minutes ago."

"Sorry, but they kept asking questions."

"Like?"

"Girl talk, you know," she replied simply.

"Is that why your face is red."

Nefer-Tina's face went cold. "How did you know?" 

"Nefer-Tina, I was not the Pharaoh's royal lead hunter for many years for slacking on the job," Ja-Kal informed her, "I went around the bushes to check up on you and heard."

"You spied on me!" she whispered in anger, as a stranger passed them.

"You were not in the lobby. I thought Scarab had attacked you," he said defensively.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, looking at the ground as she walked. She was ashamed that she had reacted badly, when he was just trying to keep her safe.

Ja-Kal stopped them and brought Nefer-Tina's face up, "It's alright. I know how much you value your privacy."

Nefer-Tina's face brightened up and her rosy mouth curved into a mischievous smile. "You could make it up to me, by taking me to the ball."

Ja-Kal opened his mouth to answer, when a man came up to them. 

"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Carnovan," the man said, clearing his throat, "Here is your room key card. Your room is on the fourth floor, number 454." 

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ja-Kal took the room card and slid it into the slot on the door. The door unlocked and the two stepped into their quarters for the rest of the competition.

"Oh wow!" Nefer-Tina cried in joy. "I could live here forever!" Ja-Kal opted to just nod.

It was a spacious room that was finely decorated. At the far end of the room, there was a balcony with glass doors. There was a TV with remote control, a white couch, and a white love seat to the right of the room. Near the balcony was a small round oak table with four chairs. To their left was the phone and card with the numbers to the lobby, gift shop, room service, and a number to dial for outside calls on a small glass table outlined by oak framing next to the wall. On top of the small table to the side of the latter was a glass vase filled with fresh roses. As they left their bags at the door and enter deep into the room, they saw the wall at the entrance blocked the view of the king size bed. On each side of the bed was a small nightstand with a lamp on top. The nightstand was also crafted of oak and had two drawers. The bathroom was at the end of a corridor facing the bed perpendicularly. 

Nefer-Tina went to look at the bathroom and as she walked into the small corridor. To her sides were two closets and ahead lay the bathroom. She opened the door and gasped. It was the largest tub she had ever seen. A smile grew on her lips as she imagined the wonderful time she would have soaking in such a spacious tub.

"Nefer-Tina, we are on a mission to retrieve the gem of Ra," he reminded her. Ja-Kal began to unpack the clothing and other articles that were in the bags into their respective places in the room.

"Yeah, I know," she sighed and walked over to help Ja-Kal. "If only you would stop being so uptight," she said under her breath.

Ja-Kal looked at Nefer-Tina with a frown then shook his head, as Nefer-Tina put on a fake smile.

It took them thirty minutes to finish unpacking. After the long day, both of them were exhausted. Nefer-Tina went outside to go get them some soda and snacks, since the restaurant was closed at this hour, and they had never gotten to eat their dinner. Ja-Kal sat down on the table and studied the sheet that Bill had given him earlier. It was a list of all the topics that the couples would be asked. 

As Ja-Kal looked at the sheet in front of him, images of Dan and what he had said flooded his mind. _Why did it upset me so much to hear them talk about Nefer-Tina like that?_ he thought to himself. The only time he had ever acted like that was when he had heard some servants bad mouthing his wife, Tia. Ja-Kal just shook it off as jet lag. He was probably so tried that anything would have set him off.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nefer-Tina arrived back shortly and they finished the soda and sandwiches she had purchased. Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina decided to go down the list of things they would have to discuss. They would take turns creating responses to each question.

"Ok, next one is…first kiss!" Suddenly, Nefer-Tina's eyes dropped. "Um, well I think you can make this one up Ja-Kal," she quickly said, recovering face.

"Nefer-Tina, you have been avoiding all the questions. I think you should do your part in this."

"Why? You're the one that's been married before. I think you are more qualified to do this then me," she pouted and got up from the table. Nefer-Tina walked over to the balcony doors, holding her arms as if she was wounded. She looked at her soft reflection in the clear glass doors and wiped a tear from her cheek. 

Ja-Kal followed Nefer-Tina and his hand reached out towards her. "Nefer…what's wrong? Was it something I did or said?" It touched his heart to see Nefer-Tina like this.

Nefer-Tina avoided his touch and simply replied, "No."

"Then please tell me what it is," he pleaded.

"It's that name, "Nefer"," she said, voice caught at the back of her throat. When she said the name "Nefer" there was a bitter twist to her voice. She turned around and faced Ja-Kal. The tears stung at her cheeks as they fell like a soft spring rain. "When I was "Nefer" the only thing I could enjoy were chariots and the friendship of you and the others. I paid my price for having that. I lost the right to be loved by a man and to have children. You know what would have happened to me if I was discovered. Death." She held back the tears and continued on, "When I started to drive chariots, I had to leave my family. I had to leave "Nefer-Tina" behind. She died the second I left the door." 

Finally, Nefer-Tina broke down and let all of her frustration pour out.

"Nefer-Tina…" Ja-Kal began.

She left up her hand in protest, "Wait, let me finish." He nodded and walked her over to the couch.

She raised her head. Then she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and let out a breath. She wiped the tears off her face and said, "I've never been _really_ kissed. In fact, my mother was always afraid to talk to me about sex. I heard all I know from my friends. When I was finally old enough to be courted, I had become "Nefer."

Ja-Kal face had the blank shocked look of someone who had the wind knocked out of them. He should have seen it. How blind could he have been! The reluctance to participate when she heard that it would involve talking about romantic relations, when she'd never had any. The embarrassment when she was interrogated by the other wives about their sexual interludes. She had no real knowledge or experience in the matters of love. It also explained why she was dodging all the questions. 

"I'm sorry I'm telling you this last minute, but you all seemed to depend on me to do this. I couldn't let you down." Nefer-Tina looked up a Ja-Kal with timid eyes. Nefer-Tina's normal self-assurance was gone. She had brought down her shields and revealed her secret to Ja-Kal, even more trusted then her hidden gender during Ancient Egypt. 

"Ja-Kal, I'm so--" Nefer-Tina began.

A million thoughts ran through his head. Ja-Kal put his finger to her lips to silence her. "So you don't know how to kiss."

She nodded, the innocence gleaming through her eyes. Seconds passed before she finally spoke again. "Ja-Kal, I…"

Leaning slightly closer to her, he said softly, "Let me teach you." 

He drew her to him with his eyes, she raised her face to his, and she laid her sweet, tender lips on his warm, inviting ones… 

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TO BE CONTINUED…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N ~~ Nice cliffhanger, ¿si? 

Will Nefer-Tina pull back from the kiss?! What happened to "I have never been unfaithful to my wife, Tia"?! 

What's going through Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina's mind. New emotions surface and old ones do an encore…on the next chapter of The Gem of Ra!


	3. Surprise, surprise!

MA! Marriage - Chap. 3 ****

A/N ~~ Enjoy! Don't hate me for the little twists and turns!

****

Disclaimer ~~ I am in now way affiliated with the cartoon series, "Mummies Alive!" or the DIC Corporation, and any of its affiliates. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only. This fanfic and its author do not intend to infringe on any copyrights. 

****

On to the fanfic! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 3: Surprise, surprise!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nefer-Tina?" Ja-Kal studied Nefer-Tina's face. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? What?" Nefer-Tina rubbed her eyes and shook her head.

Ja-Kal placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Nef? Remember first kiss?"

Nefer-Tina gazed at Ja-Kal's moist lips, remembering the prior dream. Then realizing that he was staring at her, "Sorry, I'm just a little tried." She gave him a faint smile and got up from the table.

"You're right. It's past midnight. Tomorrow we'll finish this." Nefer-Tina nodded in agreement as she stretched her arms into the air and yawned.

Nefer-Tina grabbed her sleeping attire and headed into the bathroom, while Ja-Kal cleaned up the table.

Nefer-Tina splashed some of the tap water on her face. "It felt so real," she said silently to herself. _Well you better forget it Nefer-Tina because there's no way that's ever going to happen. He's a married man for Ra's sake! Ok_, she admitted to herself,_ the guy is drop dead gorgeous. If only he weren't so uptight._

Nefer-Tina let a smile dominate her face and thought, _I wonder if he really is a good kisser._

Nefer-Tina let a finger linger on her lips. She let it drop and looked at herself in the mirror. "It's not like I could ever compare to his perfect and obedient wife," she huffed.

"Did you say something, Nefer-Tina?" Ja-Kal said from outside.

"No." 

Nefer-Tina brushed her teeth the way Presley had shown her. Then, she took off her clothes and slipped into the smooth, silky lingerie. She looked at herself in the mirror and did a double take. Nefer-Tina silently reminded herself to light a firework under Rath while he was slept when she returned to the Sphinx.

Meanwhile, Ja-Kal was throwing the food away in the trashcan. He picked up the paper with the topics on it. "Three more to go," he mused.

"Ja-Kal do you have an extra pair of sleeping clothes?" Nefer-Tina called from inside the bathroom.

"I'm sure whatever you have is just fine," he replied flatly. 

"But…" she complained.

Ja-Kal walked over and sat on the bed in front of the bathroom. "Come out and let me see what's wrong with it. Don't tell me it's the wrong color."

"Do I _have_ too?"

Ja-Kal crossed his arms and remained silent.

"I can't believe I'm showing you this," Nefer-Tina said, lowering her voice.

Ja-Kal heard a soft shuffle from inside the bathroom and then the door opened revealing the bright light from within. Ja-Kal raised his hand to block the light from his eyes.

"Hey, I don't think I look _that_ bad!" Nefer-Tina exclaimed.

Ja-Kal studied her face and then his eyes wandered down her body. At first he didn't see anything wrong, but then he saw the length of the lingerie. Nefer-Tina was shifting uneasily, pulling at the lingerie.

"I feel like a prostitute," Nefer-Tina said with a frown on her face. 

Ja-Kal felt like replying to the comment, but thought it best not to anger Nefer-Tina.

Nefer-Tina noticed how intensely his eyes were locked onto her body. This wasn't like other men who would stare at her. The only woman Ja-Kal looked at with desire was his wife. Nefer-Tina shrugged it off and thought, _I bet he's probably just laughing at me inside his head._

"Well don't just stand there gawking at me! Go get me something decent!" Nefer-Tina snapped.

Ja-Kal reached into a drawer and pulled out an extra pair of pajamas he had and threw it at Nefer-Tina, "Here catch!"

Nefer-Tina headed back to the bathroom. She closed the door and then popped her head out again and said, "You know Rath is going to pay for this." 

Ja-Kal chuckled to himself and lay down on the bed. Some things just never change.

The door opened again and Nefer-Tina came out. She threw the small lingerie at Ja-Kal and said, her voice teasing, "Now it's your turn to change."

Ja-Kal rolled his eyes and grabbed the pajamas he was actually going to wear, throwing the lingerie back at Nefer-Tina.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Ja-Kal finished changing and stepped out of the bathroom. Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina's eyes darted from the bed to the couch and then to each other. "You can have the bed," they both said in unison. 

Ja-Kal chuckled and Nefer-Tina blushed at the awkwardness of the situation.

"No, Nefer-Tina, you should have the bed. It's the principled thing to do."

"You really mean it?" Nefer-Tina asked, wondering if he was going to change his mind all of a sudden. Ja-Kal nodded with amusement.

"Thanks!" Nefer-Tina was overcome with urge and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

His look of amusement quickly changed to surprise. 

Quickly realizing her error she apologized. Nefer-Tina's cheeks were burning red and she was mentally kicking herself for acting without thinking.

"Sorry," she murmured once again and made her way towards the king-size bed.

There was a long period of silence in the room. Ja-Kal was ready to go to sleep on the couch when he remembered that he needed a pillow.

"Nefer-Tina," he called, wincing at how loud he sounded.

Nefer-Tina acknowledged him with a murmur.

"Could you pass me a pillow?"

"Sure," came the nervous reply. Nefer-Tina got out of bed and straightened the large shirt on her body. She walked over to the couch and handed the pillow to him. Ja-Kal noted that her hands were shaking.

Ja-Kal reached with one hand and grabbed the pillow and with his other he grasped her hand. A half smile formed on his mouth, "Nefer-Tina, I'm not angry at you. It was just a friendly gesture." He told her also trying to convince himself.

With that, Nefer-Tina relaxed and let out a breath. She looked at him and smiled, "I just don't want to overstep my boundaries."

For a brief moment their eyes met and then darted towards the floor.

"So am I free to go now?" Nefer-Tina asked, an amused grin on her face.

Ja-Kal gave her a bewildered look.

"My hand."

"Oh! Oh, yeah. You're free to go," he said and let go of her hand. Ja-Kal inwardly groaned at how stupid he must have looked.

Nefer-Tina flopped back down on the bed and turned off the light. She covered herself with the bed sheets and closed her eyes.

Ja-Kal was busy tossing and turning on the couch. He looked over at the bed and saw Nefer-Tina asleep. She was curled up on her side. One hand under the pillow and the other resting on top. 

Ja-Kal laid on the couch under a couple of blankets studying the figure on the bed. A faint trace of light showed through the balcony door and lit up Nefer-Tina's face. A smile appeared on her mouth as she turned her back to the light.

__

She's so carefree, he thought. His mind drifted to the incident with the scandalous, form-fitting lingerie and he grinned. _Nefer-Tina did look somewhat tempting in it. _Ja-Kal froze in his thoughts. He was married and thinking of another woman. Ja-Kal buried his face in his hands in shame. "Tia, please help me to overcome this temptation," he whispered into the dark room.

In the darkness of the room, a clock showed the time at 1:00 A.M. as Ja-Kal's eyelids grew heavy and he finally gave in to sleep.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ja-Kal looked around him, perplexed. He called out into the dark, empty room. Was it even a room? He heard a pair of small feet walking towards him. He tried to make out the dark figure walking towards him. 

"Hello?" he yelled.

The figure kept walking towards him as if she never heard him. Ja-Kal stood in his fighting stance, ready for anything that would come his way.

The figure stopped and cried, "My love, is that you?" It was a female voice. It sounded so familiar.

"Tia! Tia, it's me!" he replied, quickly recognizing the voice. Ja-Kal walked towards the female figure with open arms.

She screamed, "Get away from me! Who are you?" The figure of Tai started backing away from Ja-Kal.

"Tia, don't you remember your own husband?"

"Oh, is that you my husband?" Tia's voice changed to a more loving tone. She embraced Ja-Kal and proceeded to kiss him passionately. She then gave him a set of small kisses, each one different from the first.

"Oh Tia, it's been so long," he said between kisses. 

Ja-Kal opened his eyes and instead of seeing his wife, he saw Nefer-Tina. Suddenly, Ja-Kal point of view changed and he could see himself kissing Nefer-Tina. He kissed her with renewed passion. His kisses were long and hard, almost demanding that she was his. Then his kisses became more loving and gentle. 

In the heat of passion, Nefer-Tina turned her head and faced Ja-Kal, while his other self kissed her neck. Her eyes seemed to look through him.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ja-Kal gasped as he woke up in a cold sweat. The clock brightly burned 6:00 A.M. Ja-Kal ran her fingers through his short hair. He got up from the couch and walked into the bathroom. He ran the faucet and splashed some cool water on his face. 

Ja-Kal walked over to the small table near the door and picked up the phone. He dialed a number and waited while the phone rang.

"Hello?" 

"Armon is that you? It's me, Ja-Kal" 

"Hey Ja-Kal! How are things going?"

"Fine. Could I talk to Rath?"

"Sure. Hang on." A scuffle was heard on the other side of the phone.

"Hello? Ja-Kal?"

"Rath, how are you doing?" Ja-Kal said as innocently as he could sound.

"Hmm…what is it? What's wrong?"

"Well nothing really," Ja-Kal began, already regretting he made the call.

"Out with it already! You know this _is_ long distance!" Rath snapped.

Ja-Kal sighed, "I think I'm falling for her."

"Do you think I'm a mind reader? Who is 'her'?" 

A sour look fell across Ja-Kal's face. He remained silent.

"Ja-Kal? Hello!" Rath exclaimed on the other side.

"I…I think I'm falling for Nefer-Tina," Ja-Kal said lowering her voice. 

"Prefect! Now you won't have to fake anything, thus increasing your chances of winning the gem of Ra!"

Ja-Kal was confused, "Isn't it terrible since I am married and I love my wife!"

"Do you?" Rath whispered, but Ja-Kal did not hear him.

"Rath, please tell me you know what is the right thing to do!" Ja-Kal pleaded.

"Listen, it has been my experience that you should follow your heart," Rath began, "Or, she will end up trying to kill you until the end of time."

"Rath, this is not a joking matter!"

"Who's joking? Ja-Kal, I have never had a reason to doubt your judgement and decisions. Now I must hang up. Long distance, you understand," Rath said flatly and hung up. 

Ja-Kal also hung up and searched for a paper to write on. He needed to clear his head. He found a complementary pad of paper and wrote: 

__

Nefer-Tina,

I've gone to the gym. Be back soon.

Ja-Kal

He changed out of his pajamas and into some shorts and a T-shirt. Satisfied with his appearance he walked out of the room, making sure the door was locked behind him.

"Now I got to find the gym," he said to himself, looking around the hotel hallway for some sort of map or directions.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

Knock! Knock!

"Ja-Kal get the door!" Nefer-Tina cried, half asleep.

When no response came, she called his name. Finally, she looked at the couch and saw that he was gone.

__

Knock! Knock!

"Coming!" she shouted at the door. Nefer-Tina got out of bed and yawned. She walked over to the door and unlocked it. As she opened the door she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Mrs. Carnovan, good morning!" the messenger said in an ecstatic tone. He handed Nefer-Tina a card and gave a friendly smile.

"Thanks," she yawned and grabbed the card. As the messenger walked away, she closed the door. 

Nefer-Tina read the card aloud to herself:

__

Mr. and Mrs. Carnovan,

Your presence is required at an interview that shall be held in the first floor meeting room. Your interview time is at 4:30 P.M. If you do not attend your interview you will not be allowed to participate in the rest of the competition. We wish you the best of luck!

Martian Cancola 

Martian Cancola

Founder of Cupid's Marriage Competition

"4:30 hmm…" Nefer-Tina muttered, "Looks like I have enough time for a bubble bath!"

Nefer-Tina placed the card on the table and went off into the bathroom.

Nefer-Tina stuck her head out of the bathroom, "Wait a minute! Where's Ja-Kal?"

Nefer-Tina searched around the room and found a note. She quickly read it and sighed. "Figures. He'll never give up his daily routine."

Nefer-Tina placed the paper back onto the small table and went back into the bathroom.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

Knock! Knock!

Nefer-Tina grunted. She had just recently finished her bubble bath and was lying on the bed reading a magazine. She had ordered her breakfast to her room and had eaten half of it. Her long hair was wrapped up in a towel. She was wearing a pair of blue shorts and a simple white tank top. Nefer-Tina laid down her magazine and went to open the door.

"Hello?" Nefer-Tina asked, as she turned her head to face the figure in front of her. It was Ja-Kal. "Oh you finally show up!" she said placing her hands on her hips.

Ja-Kal simply nodded and stepped inside the room as Nefer-Tina moved aside.

"Do you realize how late…whoa!" Nefer-Tina eyes lit up. She could clearly see the outline of Ja-Kal's muscular body through his clothes. The sweat on his body made his shirt cling to his firm body.

Ja-Kal didn't notice since he was walking into the bathroom to grab a towel.

"Oh! Bandages do _not_ do him justice!" she softly squealed.

Nefer-Tina cleared her throat, "Ja-Kal, we have an interview at 4:30."

Ja-Kal looked up and simply said, "I see."

Nefer-Tina shuffled her feet on the carpet and seemed to focus on some unknown spot of the floor. 

"Well I'm going to take a shower," Ja-Kal said flatly. Ja-Kal opened up the closest and looked through the clothes. When he was satisfied, he grabbed the clothes and walked into the bathroom.

Nefer-Tina was saddened. She wondered why Ja-Kal seemed so serious and distant. He was so different from the other day. What had she done to change his attitude towards her? 

Nefer-Tina gazed at the bathroom door. Tears stung her eyes. _Suck it in, Nefer-Tina,_ she told herself. _A charioteer does not cry_.

Nefer-Tina sunk back onto the bed. She grabbed her magazine with one hand and a croissant with the other. She angrily bit into the croissant. Her eyes wandered back at the article she was previously reading, First Kiss.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

I can't believe how easily someone's life can be flipped upside down. One day everything is normal, the next you're spiraling into a bottomless pit of confusion. It all started when I fell in love with a man I shouldn't. We'd been friends for years, working closely, nearly dying together, saving one another and then one day I realized I had deeper feelings for him. I dismissed them, tried to repress them. I had too. I was a woman disguised as a man in Egypt. Now he's sending me mixed signals. One minute he's flirting and the next his attitude is cold and uncaring. I'm trying to get adjusted to this predicament. Doesn't he realize that I've never dated, much less gotten married. I'm just going to have to forget about him. He's married…but she's dead. Well, I guess so is he. By Ra! Why is life so complex?!

I have to let him go. Just like in Egypt. I have to push aside my feelings for him. He'll only bring me pain and frustration. It's ironic actually. I thought that in the afterlife I would be carefree. I was, but only for awhile. Then, he found out that I was actually a female. It made relations between us worst. Oh by Ra, did it make things worst. He wasn't as open towards me anymore. I guess once the young prince told him, he shut himself off from me. Life went on and I shut myself off from him also. I went to clubs, rode the Hot-Ra, and anything else that would allow me to keep him at a distance.

Now, it's been around three years since we woke up. I thought I was actually patching things up with him. As it turns out, the Gods had something else planned. The Cupid Marriage Competition. Being thrown into such a bizarre situation sure as heck didn't help. I wonder why Rath made us do this. Maybe he saw something between us. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking. No, wishful thinking causes more pain. It sure feels like pain right now, so it's probably wishful thinking. Yeah, wishful thinking! 

"Look at yourself, Nefer-Tina. You're no man's woman. You, Nefer-Tina, are the best charioteer that Egypt ever got! You can beat any man at a race on anything that's got wheels," she silently said to herself. "You break hearts, not have your own broken."

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ja-Kal let the cold water hit his muscular body. He rubbed the shampoo and conditioner in his hair. Then, he lathered up the soap and scrubbed his body clean.

Ja-Kal propped himself against the shower wall and lowered his head as the water fell. Ja-Kal had decided what he was going to do concerning Nefer-Tina, but he couldn't. His emotions were too strong towards _her_. The love he held for the other women was false.

The words that Rath had told him earlier rang in his mind. _Follow your heart._ If he did follow his heart, he could lose a loved one in the process.

Ja-Kal shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and proceeded to dry himself. 

"I guess everything I've felt for her all these years was wrong," he whispered.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Nefer-Tina had finished reading the article in the magazine, she got changed into a more formal outfit. She was wearing a dark blue skirt. The blouse was dark blue at the bottom and faded to the color white towards the top. She was also wearing a pair of black dress shoes. Nefer-Tina was watching TV while she waited for Ja-Kal to exit the bathroom so she could apply her make-up and do her hair.

Nefer-Tina turned as she heard the bathroom door open. There was Ja-Kal standing in the doorway. He was wearing a gray business suit and his hair was still moist from the shower.

"About time! I hope that shower cleaned off more then the sweat," Nefer-Tina said in a bitter tone.

Ja-Kal cocked an eyebrow at her, taken back by her tone. 

"Oh, Ja-Kal I'm sorry," she began, realizing the impact of her words.

"No, Nefer-Tina, I should be sorry. I just didn't get that much sleep and I've been in a bad mood today."

"I think this whole thing is just…"

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to swallow."

Nefer-Tina gave Ja-Kal a have smile to show that she was alright. She walked into the bathroom with an arm full of make-up, combs, sprays, and gels. Ja-Kal gave her a her a worried look. 

"Compliments of Rath," she grinned.

Ja-Kal sat down at the table in the room and pulled out the paper that they had previously worked on. He sat at his seat waiting for Nefer-Tina.

"Nefer-Tina, we must finish the topics that we will be questioned on," he informed.

"Be out in a minute!" came the muffled reply.

It actually took Nefer-Tina half an hour to get ready. In that time, Ja-Kal stationed himself in front of the TV.

When Nefer-Tina came out, her hair was somehow wrapped up to Ja-Kal's amazement.

"I hope you are completely ready," Ja-Kal said flatly.

"Of course!" Nefer-Tina said and winked. Inwardly, she slapped herself. _Keep it together, Nef!_

Nefer-Tina's usually lighthearted appearance faded into a more solemn one. Ja-Kal only gave it a second thought, before turning to the more important matter ahead. The two went over the last three topics with incredible ease and decided it was time to go eat lunch. 

Ja-Kal was amazed that Nefer-Tina didn't avoid the questions as she did the night before. In fact, she nearly gave him a heart attack when she described their first kiss. To his knowledge, Nefer-Tina was never involved with anyone recently, yet, the kiss she described to him was so detailed that she could only have experienced it recently. 

This of course didn't sit well with Ja-Kal. He always liked to be in the know about his friends' lives and that included personal lives. In addition, Nefer-Tina said it with such a passion. Nefer-Tina was not aware that she was telling Ja-Kal about the kiss in such a way. Subconsciously, Nefer-Tina was directing that passion towards Ja-Kal and somewhere in the depths of her mind she imagined that she did truly have that kiss with Ja-Kal.

__

She must care deeply for the person she had that kiss with, Ja-Kal thought. Ja-Kal wondered as to why he had missed all hints that Nefer-Tina was seeing someone. _Have I been pushing her away that much?_

Nefer-Tina's hand in front of his face broke his trance-like state. "I don't know about you, but I'm totally looking forward to lunch," she said.

"Oh! Sorry, I sort of drifted off there," Ja-Kal said, as he stood up from the chair. He grabbed the card key to the room and placed it in his pocket.

As Ja-Kal closed the room door behind him, Nefer-Tina asked him, concerned, "Exactly how much sleep did you get last night?"

"Don't worry. I'm fine. I just need some food and I'll be ok." 

Nefer-Tina's face was filled with doubt, but decided to humor him. "Alright, just don't go fainting on me!" The grin on Nefer-Tina's face grew larger.

Ja-Kal merely rolled his eyes at the comment and continued walking towards the hotel restaurant.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Cupid's Annual Marriage Competition!" said Martian Cancola. Martian Cancola, the founder of the competition, looked to be in his sixties. From what Mrs. Woo had told Nefer-Tina, Mr. Cancola's wife had died two years ago, but the old man still wanted to continue the competition.

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina sat at a rather large table with the Woos, Rogers, Faires, and Georges. The Georges were Cindy and her husband, Mike. Loraine Faire's husband was called Robert. Bill Rogers' wife was called Betsy. Much to Ja-Kal's happiness, the vulgar Dan and his wife were not seated at the same table or anywhere near.

"So, Nefer-Tina, aren't the rooms a dream?" asked Cindy.

Nefer-Tina nodded her head in agreement.

"You know, I heard that room service had several calls for a cot last night," Loraine Faire said in a cold, flat tone. "Of course, Robert and I will never have problems." Loraine waited for her husband to agree, when she heard nothing she nudged him in the ribs. "Right, Robert," she hissed. Her husband, Robert, merely nodded.

"My husband and I have been happily married for many years. We have our ups and downs, but we still love on another," Elaine Woo said softly.

"Mrs. Woo is correct. In life there are ups and downs, but as long as you have each other, the world looks bright," Ja-Kal added.

"So I take it you've had absolutely no problems with your wife. Frankly I find that hard to believe. No offense or anything, but she seems to be extremely independent and won't take any bull from any one, including her own husband," Mr. George snorted.

"Well we've only been married for a month now," Nefer-Tina said defensively. "I think that when you're in love, and I mean true love, nothing can get between two people."

"So idealistic, so young."

"Excuse me, Mrs. Faire, but I happen to agree with my wife on that," Ja-Kal said.

Nefer-Tina smiled a silent "thank you" towards Ja-Kal.

"Yes, I agree as well," Mr. Woo stated.

"We all have different perspectives on love, but that's what America is all about," Bill Rogers told the group. This was followed by several nods from the group.

"Now I wonder when they are going to serve lunch in here!" demanded Mrs. Rogers.

"Yeah, I'm about two seconds away from eating the flowers on this table!" Nefer-Tina shouted.

A fit of laughter followed Nefer-Tina's comment as well as the food. The group sitting at the table turned to more lighter subject to discuss such as sports, clothes, and humorous incidents while eating.

"Well, that was a filling meal!" Bill Rogers cheered.

"I think they could have gone a little easy on the spices," said Robert Faire, drinking down his third glass of water. A waiter came by and refilled the cup for him.

"Looks like its not over yet, here comes the desert!" Cindy George exclaimed.

Nefer-Tina started to drool over the desert. It was a messy sundae! As dreams of having one to herself filled her mind, to her horror she soon found out she had to share one with Ja-Kal.

"Sorry folks, but the truck that was supposed to bring the rest of the food was delayed," Mr. Cancola explained to the restless crowd.

"Damn, just our luck!" Mrs. Rogers exclaimed. She was also looking forward to having the desert for herself.

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina were poking at the desert, uncertain as to how to proceed. Ja-Kal watched Mr. Rogers and his wife digging into the sundae from opposite sides, and motioned for Nefer-Tina to follow example.

It was a mouth-watering experience. Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina went for the last bit of ice cream left in the cup and found that their spoons had gotten tangled. 

"You can have it," they both said in unison and the rest of the table burst out laughing at the moment.

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina were embarrassed that the rest of the table had to see that awkward moment, however, they still laughed at how absurd they were being. It was _only_ a tiny bit of ice cream after all!

"Let's just split it," Ja-Kal suggested. Nefer-Tina nodded in agreement and using a spoon they split the remaining ice cream and ate their portion respectively.

As Nefer-Tina was savoring the last portion of the messy sundae, she glanced at the clock and let out a cry. 

"What's wrong, Nefer-Tina?" Ja-Kal asked, concern hidden in his voice.

"Look at the time," she simply replied.

"It's 4:00 already?" 

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina got up from the table. They shook hands with the rest of the people at the table.

"Excuse us, we have an interview to attend," Ja-Kal said to the group.

"Don't forget that the athletic competition is tomorrow!" Bill Rogers reminded Ja-Kal.

****

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina had managed to find the meeting room just in time for their interview. Although, Ja-Kal would have preferred to be early, the card telling them about the interview failed to mention that the first floor had several meeting rooms. Thankfully, someone had posted signs leading them to the correct room.

"Nefer-Tina, before we go in there I have to tell you something." He had to tell Nefer-Tina how he truly felt about her. If he waited any longer he might never tell her. She had a right to know. Heck, he had to get this burden of his chest! 

"Sure. Go ahead," Nefer-Tina replied. She had a cheerful look on her face and a smile lingered on her mouth. Besides a few awkward moments, she had an enjoyable time during lunch.

No. He couldn't risk losing that smile on her face, but he had to tell her the truth. "Nefer-Tina, I don't love…" he began.

The door to the meeting room opened, revealing a frightful scene. Nefer-Tina gasped and Ja-Kal let his jaw drop. 

"Ja-Kal!" Nefer-Tina wailed. She stepped away from the door and moved closer to Ja-Kal.

"I know, Nefer-Tina." Ja-Kal rubbed his eyes, not believing what he saw. Never in his life has he ever seen such a frightful scene.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TO BE CONTINUED…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N ~~ Next chapter, you'll find out what has shocked Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina and what exactly did Ja-Kal want to say to her!

****


	4. Fever of Love

MA! Marriage - Chap. 4 ****

A/N ~~ I actually did some history research for this…wow! Just got refreshed in 6th grade Egyptian history! ^_~

Sorry this took so long to get out, but in the words of Ernest Hemingway, "The first draft of anything is shit." 

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NEWSFLASH: I just saw a picture of "the family." Frankly, I think she cheated on him. Tia's hair was a dusty black (hey, that's what the picture has her hair looking like) and we can only assume that Ja-Kal has either black or dark brown hair (look at eyebrows). Alright, still with me? Good. Now his son, Padjet has a reddish/brownish hair thing going. Since, Ja-Kal does not have a light hair color; it can only be assumed that…TIA CHEATED ON HIM!! Okay, it's either that or Tia got a die job from her reddish/brownish hair. 

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^^^^ If you thought that was obsessive, then ya don't know me! ^^^^

Disclaimer ~~ I am not affiliated with the cartoon series, "Mummies Alive!" or the DIC Corporation, and any of its affiliates. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only. This fanfic and its author do not intend to infringe on any copyrights. I am not affiliated with the movie, "The Mummy" or the Great Sphinx.

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On to the fanfic! 

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Chapter 4: Fever of Love

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It was awful! Inside the meeting room, a wife was beating her husband over the head with her purse. Never in his life had Ja-Kal pictured such violence between husband and wife.

The couple spotted Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina staring at them. They got up and left, bickering in a whisper. When they turned a corner, the wife smacked her husband once again. 

Nefer-Tina giggled silently at the couple as they left. Ja-Kal glanced around the room. It was quite large with a large cherry oak table in the center. At the table are a man and a woman, each with a clipboard. 

The young woman, around in her twenties, looked up from her clipboard and motioned for them to enter. Her hair was up in a messy bun and she had a tried look on her face. A cold cup of coffee was in front of her on the table. "Oh, sorry about that. They clashed on a certain memory."

"And what was memory was that?" Nefer-Tina asked with curious smile.

The young lady dryly responded, "In which location they were proposed to." Then she continued, clearing her throat, "Anyway, time for your interview. Come on in. Have a seat." 

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina complied and sat opposite the pair. 

"Hi, I'm Ms. Pross," she cheerfully said, extending her hand out to the two. "This is my associate, Mr. Cerone."

"Hello," Mr. Cerone nodded. Mr. Cerone was quite the opposite of Ms. Pross. He had a clean-cut look and was middle aged. His face seemed much more alert, yet his eyes seemed to be drifting off.

"Pleased to meet you," Ja-Kal responded, shaking hands with Ms. Pross. Mr. Cerone seemed to be the shy type and did not shake hands with either Ja-Kal or Nefer-Tina, but simply nodded and turned back to his clipboard.

"Hi, I'm Nefer-Tina." Her rosy mouth curved into a kind smile. 

When Nefer-Tina shook hands with Ms. Pross, the young lady noticed her wedding ring. "That's a beauty!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks! Ja-Kal was kind enough to let me pick out my ring," she said, turning to Ja-Kal and smiling.

"Anything for my love," he responded warmly and grasped Nefer-Tina's hand with his own.

Ms. Pross smiled, "How lovely! So, how long have you two been married?"

"A month," Ja-Kal answered.

"Excuse me, but shouldn't you already know this? I mean, since you do have the marriage documents," Nefer-Tina stated, irritably. She didn't like that they were wasting time with questions they already knew the answers to.

Ja-Kal froze, silently wishing Nefer-Tina to refrain from further irritating the interviewers. He squeezed Nefer-Tina's hand hard as a message to keep her mouth shut. 

Nefer-Tina clenched her teeth from the force of the squeeze and added, sweetly, "Not to be rude or anything."

Mr. Cerone studied the two. Something was off about them, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Mr. Cerone shrugged it off and continued to write down his notes on the couple. Next to Nefer-Tina's name he wrote: _Very independent and fierce._

"It's just routine to ask about the facts before we move on," Ms. Pross said, annoyance hidden in her voice. "Let's see…next question. How old are both of you?"

"I'm 27 and Nefer-Tina is 25," Ja-Kal quickly answered. 

Ms. Pross muttered the numbers to herself as she wrote it down. "Okay, well now we get to the fun questions!"

Mr. Cerone snorted and Ms. Pross shot him a look of anger. "Anyway," she said, brushing back a loose strand of hair, "Where did you first meet?"

Nefer-Tina looked at Ja-Kal. "We met at an Egyptian exhibit actually. A mutual friend introduced us," Ja-Kal replied.

Nefer-Tina smiled. It was truly the day when they first met. When "Nefer-Tina", not 'Nefer", met Ja-Kal. 

"You have a common interest in Egyptian history?"

"Yes. Actually, Ja-Kal worked at the museum, and it was my first day there," Nefer-Tina lied, smiling all the time. 

"Interesting."

"Very," Nefer-Tina grinned. 

"First date. Give me details," Ms. Pross continued, ignoring Nefer-Tina's earlier remark.

Nefer-Tina shifted in her seat, waiting for Ja-Kal to answer.

"Well, one day I decided to ask her out and she agreed. We went to see the movie "The Mummy" and then went to eat at a little café nearby," Ja-Kal said, although it was a little drier then he should have said it causing Ms. Pross to look up from her clipboard.

"Well, I thought it was more romantic then that!" Nefer-Tina added, sensing Ms. Pross' doubt, and nudged Ja-Kal playfully. "We had been exchanging pleasantries while passing in the hallway, it was never any more then that. You see we worked in different areas. Anyway, the next time I bumped into him we said hello, how you doing, etc. He had this devious grin, but I didn't think much of it. I went into a new exhibit area and started working on the charioteer area. As I was setting up, I noticed a note in the chariot. It turns out it was an invitation to go out."

"Did you kiss on the first date?"

"No, Ja-Kal respected me and didn't force me to do anything I didn't want to do," Nefer-Tina said softly. "He was the perfect gentleman. He was ma'at," she added and made Ja-Kal blush.

"Ma'at?" Ms. Pross asked.

"Oh sorry. I meant the word, not the goddess. It's an Egyptian word meaning someone who is upright and honest," Nefer-Tina informed.

"I see. How long did you date?"

"Around a year," Ja-Kal answered.

Nefer-Tina glanced at Mr. Cerone. He hasn't asked a question, but seemed to be writing a whole lot more then Ms. Pross.

Ms. Pross took a sip of her cold coffee and wasn't phased the least. "So when and where did you propose? Who actually proposed?"

"I proposed to Nefer-Tina," Ja-Kal said raising a hand.

"It was a wonder place. The sun was setting and you could see the warm colors in the sky," Nefer-Tina added for effect.

"We were in Cairo, Egypt. Nefer-Tina and I went to see the Great Sphinx that was made by Pharaoh Khafre 4,500 years ago. It's a shame that after being exposed to the weathering wind, humidity, and Cairo's smog that it's crumbling. I'm sure it was truly beautiful during Ancient Egypt." Ja-Kal smiled, remembering how exquisite the Great Sphinx was.

Nefer-Tina also smiled, for she too had seen the Great Sphinx. It saddened her that people today could not see it's true beauty. Nefer-Tina had also heard that some said the Great Sphinx talked to them, however, it had never talked to her when she was there.

Mr. Cerone and Ms. Pross looked at each other. Ms. Pross cocked an eyebrow at Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina. Mr. Cerone smiled and wrote: _They both have an intense interest in Egypt. I should be noted that they also possess a great knowledge of the ancient culture as well. They are both very passionate people._

Ms. Pross cleared her throat, wanting to finish the interview as soon as possible. Mr. Cerone gave her an annoyed look.

"Sorry, I got side tracked," Ja-Kal apologized. "Anyway, as my wife said before, the sun was setting. I got down on one knee and asked her to make me the happiest man on earth and be my wife."

"Of course I accepted. I couldn't break his heart! Plus I needed a ride home," Nefer-Tina teased and a grin formed on her lips.

Ja-Kal gave her a warm smile and kissed her on the cheek, keeping up the facade. Nefer-Tina tried to hold in her shock that Ja-Kal had actually kissed her, even thought it was _just_ on the cheek. 

Mr. Cerone noticed Nefer-Tina's shock and wrote it down. He wrote: _Curious couple. When her husband gave her a small peck on the cheek she seemed surprised. They act as though they have crushes on each other. Interesting. Although it may be the shock that they're newly married._

They answered a few more questions about life before they got married and then Ms. Pross and Mr. Cerone got up from the table.

"Alright. Now the next portion of the interview is to do a one-on-one interview of married life. If you'll follow me, Nefer-Tina," Ms. Pross instructed. She led Nefer-Tina to the other side of the room where a small table was stationed.

"Mr. Carnovan, this way please," Mr. Cerone said. He led Ja-Kal to the opposite side that Nefer-Tina was on.

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"Alright, Nef, you'll just have to answer a few questions and then we're finished!" Ms. Pross exclaimed.

"Sure, ask away," Nefer-Tina said dryly. Only her friends called her "Nef" and even that was rare.

"Right now, Mr. Cerone is asking the same questions to your husband," Ms. Pross informed and took a sip out of her cold coffee.

Nefer-Tina flinched in disgust at Ms. Pross' lack of taste.

Ms. Pross saw her flinch and asked, "Is something wrong?" 

Nefer-Tina faked a smile and shook her head.

"Okay, I'm sorry if these questions are a bit too personal but it's what the judges gave me to ask you." Ms. Pross shifted in her chair and flipped a couple of pages on her clipboard.

The color drained from Nefer-Tina's face. _Calm down, Nefer-Tina. You can do this! That's why you went over the questions with Ja-Kal_, she assured herself.

"Just pretend like I'm your friend and we'll chatting about guys, okay?" Ms. Pross said, sensing Nefer-Tina's reluctance.

"Sure!" Nefer-Tina happily said. Inwardly she snorted at the thought.

"First Kiss. Good or bad?" Ms. Pross inquired, leaning in closer to Nefer-Tina.

"Well…" Nefer-Tina began, recalling what the magazine article had told her about first kisses. "In one word, it was perfect."

Ms. Pross gestured with her hand asking for more information.

"It was sweet and smooth. Our tongues were baring touching, like he was teasing me on. I thought it was very romantic and fitting for a first kiss."

There was an intermission of silence as Ms. Pross wrote down some notes. Ms. Pross had been sitting with her legs crossed, she uncrossed them and switched positions.

"So how's married life?"

"Good," Nefer-Tina said, a bit unsure of where Ms. Pross was going.

"Hmm…interesting," Ms. Pross murmured. Nefer-Tina found it humorous that the judges had picked a unmarried woman to lead the questioning and tried to stifle a laugh. 

"We haven't had any fights since we've been married," Nefer-Tina pointed out.

"That's a good sign," Ms. Pross remarked, making Nefer-Tina frown.

"I don't mean to be rude again, but why exactly did they pick you to do these questions? You are unmarried, right?"

"I'm a psychologists for married couples," she stated.

"Oh," Nefer-Tina said, nodding her head. She had no clue what a psychologist was.

"How do you feel about Ja-Kal?" she asked.

A smile came upon Nefer-Tina's lips, "He's uptight, but I love him. Actually, it was love at first sight, but I was forbid…uh shy to tell him."

"I see."

Nefer-Tina was starting to get really annoyed at Ms. Pross' favorite phrases.

"How's the sex?" Ms. Pross bluntly asked.

Nefer-Tina could only blink at her. "Are you sure that's one of the questions you're supposed to ask me?" Nefer-Tina did not remember sex being the list that Mr. Rogers had given to Ja-Kal.

"Yes. So tell me, how's the sex?"

Nefer-Tina answered quickly, voice caught at the back of her throat, "It's fine."

Ms. Pross didn't buy the quick response. "No need to lie, just the truth between us girls."

Nefer-Tina ran through her head trying to think of a reasonable response. 

Seeing a blank face, Ms. Pross decided to use her psychology training, "Okay, let's start with physical attraction."

"He has a very toned and firm body. What's not to be attracted to?"

"What do you think is his best physical quality?"

Nefer-Tina thought for a moment and replied, "His eyes. Gods, I could lost in his chocolate eyes."

"So, back to my original question. How is he in bed?"

Nefer-Tina remembered a cleansing musical that talked about this. She told Ms. Pross what she remembered and added a few of her own words. "He's tender, forgiving, thoughtful, generous and attentive to details that make a difference. Every time is a wonderful experience that brings us closer together."

Ms. Pross tried to keep up with all that Nefer-Tina had just said, but gave up. "So the sex is great, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you plan on having children at any time?"

"Um…" Nefer-Tina shifted uneasily in her seat, "We haven't really discussed that."

"Hmm…But do _you_ ever plan on having children?" she asked, pointing at Nefer-Tina.

Nefer-Tina had always wanted a child or two, but it was never possible back in Egypt. "Yeah, but because of my job it wasn't wise."

"Really? How's that? I thought you working at the museum," Ms. Pross asked, intrigued by Nefer-Tina's response.

Nefer-Tina mentally slapped herself for not thinking. _This psychowhatever was good_, she thought. "Well, I guess you could say I was sort of married to my work and didn't want to give it up," she said with a half-smile on her lips.

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Ja-Kal and Mr. Cerone had answered several questions already. Ja-Kal was quiet bored since he knew what all the questions would be. Although the next question almost made him fall out of his chair.

"How's the sex?" Mr. Cerone asked flatly. 

"Excuse me?" was all the Ja-Kal could muster to say.

"How's the sex?" he asked again.

"It's fine," Ja-Kal replied, shifting in his seat.

Mr. Cerone cocked his eyebrow at the response. 

"My wife is great," Ja-Kal began, knowing how uncomfortable it would be to say "Nefer-Tina." 

"Is that all?"

"It's fun?" he asked rather then stated. Ja-Kal had stupidly blurted out the first word that came to his mind.

"Fun?" 

Ja-Kal cleared his throat, "It's an enjoyable experience. It's something I treasure about our relationship."

"How's that?" Mr. Cerone asked and then turned to his clipboard to write something.

"Well, keeping with tradition we never did the act before our marriage. When we were intimate for the first time, it brought our love to a new level."

"Excuse me for being so personal, but did she please you? Would you say she was good?" It amazed Ja-Kal how this man could ask the deepest of questions and be so serious.

Ja-Kal nodded, "Yes. It's a very pleasurable experience."

"Hmm…" Mr. Cerone wrote down a few more things on the clipboard and got up. He shook hands with Ja-Kal before escorting him to the door, "Thank you for your corporation, Mr. Carnovan." 

Nefer-Tina was waiting for Ja-Kal at the door.

"Ja-Kal, they had an extra question," Nefer-Tina whispered, as she walked out the door.

"Don't worry, as long as we answered the rest of the questions they said we'll get the gem of Ra."

"I hope so. I wouldn't want Scarab to get his hands on it." Nefer-Tina gazed at Ja-Kal and found herself admiring his eyes. "Chocolate eyes," she whispered silently to herself. She snapped back into reality and asked, "Hungry?"

"Yes. Which way is the restaurant again?"

"I think it's that way," Nefer-Tina said, pointing to her left. 

Ja-Kal studied Nefer-Tina. Should he tell her now? She deserved to know the truth. "Nefer-Tina, as I was going to tell you earlier," he began.

Nefer-Tina was half listening because in the distance a figure was approaching them. The figure grew into a muscular man with blond hair and blue eyes.

Ja-Kal's face grew cold. He knew that man and he meant trouble. 

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"Hey baby, what's your sign?" Dan slyly asked.

"Do not enter," Nefer-Tina replied bluntly and shot him a glare. Ja-Kal looked at Dan, frowning.

Ja-Kal put a protective arm around Nefer-Tina, to give Dan the hint about what was going on.

"Hey, I was only joking!" Dan explained, putting his hands out in front of him.

Nefer-Tina studied Dan. Something about him reminded her of Pep, except for the fact that he was blond and blue eyed. Oh, now she knew. It was the fact that Dan was infatuated with her, just like Pep. 

"Name's Dan Hickey," he said, extending a hand out to Nefer-Tina. Nefer-Tina shook his hand wary of Ja-Kal's distrust in him. 

"I take it that you'd two met already," Nefer-Tina observed. Ja-Kal and Dan didn't shake hands and kept each other at a distance. "I'm Nefer-Tina."

"Yes, I've heard of you. Your beauty is known throughout all the men," he replied, winking at Nefer-Tina.

Nefer-Tina was shocked and blushed at the comment. She answered, politely, "Thank you."

Dan grinned, knowing full well the jealously he was giving Ja-Kal. 

Nefer-Tina smiled at Dan and he smiled back. She didn't see how Ja-Kal thought he was a bad person. Ja-Kal saw the exchange between the two and his anger rose. Dan did not come off as a gentleman to Ja-Kal. In fact, Ja-Kal had a mortal antipathy towards him.

"Dan, so where's your wife?" Ja-Kal coyly asked. 

"With her lover," he said, flatly.

Nefer-Tina gasped. Ja-Kal wasn't sure if Dan was joking or telling the truth.

"Ah! Got you again!" he shouted in a juvenile manner. 

He playfully punched Ja-Kal in the arm, but with extra force, to make sure it stung. Ja-Kal flinched when Dan's fist made contact with his arm. Nefer-Tina didn't notice the force with which Dan hit Ja-Kal. 

"Well, I got to go now! See you around Ja-Kal!" he said. Then he turned his gaze to Nefer-Tina and said, "My lady!" He reached out, took Nefer-Tina' hand, and kissed it with a gallant motion.

Nefer-Tina giggled at the motion. When she turned around to face Ja-Kal, she noticed he was tense once again. Her appearance of amusement melted into concern. "Ja-Kal, are you alright?"

"Yes," he quickly replied. He proceeded to walk towards the hotel restaurant where they were going to have dinner, when he noticed that Nefer-Tina wasn't with him. He turned back and saw that she was standing still not moving.

"Ja-Kal, don't lie to me." Her hands were at her hips and she had a stern look on her face.

"I am not!" he snapped. "Now, we must go eat dinner, so it doesn't close on us like last night," he said, as he gently grabbed Nefer-Tina's arm and led her to the restaurant.

Nefer-Tina let a sigh escape her mouth. She knew Ja-Kal was not telling her something. She suspected it had something to do with Dan. Although she felt he was just a big joker and did no more harm then that. Whatever it was, she was going to confront Ja-Kal after dinner. _He was always more talkative after a meal_, she grinned.

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The restaurant seemed to be lit only by candlelight. Slow music from an unknown piano played in the background of the soft murmurs coming from those who ate. An occasional break in the tranquility of the restaurant was heard when a waiter or waitress stepped out of the kitchen. The scent in the air was a pleasure to any nose. 

Nefer-Tina brushed a loose strand of her black hair that had drifted down along her face back and continued to eat. She looked up from her plate and glanced at Ja-Kal, then quickly moved her eyes back to her food. She didn't like silence, so she proceeded to amend it. 

"Um, Ja-Kal, what are you going to do tomorrow?" she asked, softly, fiddling with her fork.

"The athletic competitions," Ja-Kal said, voice flat, with a hard note that was unusual for him but not unprecedented. He watched the lights of the candle on the table for a moment, then turned to her. "Even thought we are probably the couple most in shape here, we should still strive for our best."

Nefer-Tina nodded at Ja-Kal, then turned to take a bite out of her salad. The candlelight played shadows over her face in the dark restaurant. 

"Do you think we have a good chance at getting the gem of Ra after today? I think I destroyed our chance to win today," she said with a solemn face.

Ja-Kal stopped his fork in mid-air and brought it down to his plate. "I don't understand. You remembered all the answers we went over, right?" A worried look cast over his features.

"No, I told her all we went over. I really did," she said earnestly. "It's just that question…" Her eyes became downcast. 

"You're a…" Ja-Kal stopped, and reworded his question. "I mean, you haven't been with a man?" he questioned, lowering his voice.

Nefer-Tina looked up at Ja-Kal in disgust, "You thought I have?!"

"No! Well, maybe. I didn't know!"

Several people from nearby tables turned their attention to the abrupt scene.

Nefer-Tina ran her slim fingers through her black hair and slumped in her chair. Ja-Kal's ears and the back of her neck were hot from embarrassment. A waiter came by and brought their main courses. They had each ordered the house special, which was composed of a well-done steak, cheddar-mashed potatoes, and various vegetables.

"I'm sorry, Nefer-Tina. It was inexcusable of me," Ja-Kal whispered, seeing the waiter exit.

Nefer-Tina still obviously hurt, picked up her utensils and proceeded to cut her steak. A few seconds of silence passed before Nefer-Tina acknowledged his apology. "I'll accept it on one condition. You must promise to never again presume things about me," she said, voice flat.

"I promise."

Nefer-Tina smiled, knowing Ja-Kal's word was as good as gold. The rest of the evening was spent on mild conversation between bites. They discussed their interviewers and their quirks. 

Ja-Kal took his last bite of steak and wiped his mouth off on the napkin. He took a sip from his iced tea.

"Such an enjoyable taste! Nefer-Tina you should get this drink next time," he commented.

"I prefer my tea, hot and steamy, not cold. I think that coke is much better. What did the prince say it has again?"

"Caffeine."

"Yeah, this caffeine is great! I feel so energetic!" she exclaimed, and took another gulp of coke.

"Hello," said a voice behind Nefer-Tina. There was an eerie calmness to it.

Ja-Kal just nodded towards the voice. It was Dan.

"Hello, Nefer-Tina. A pleasure always," he grinned. Next to him stood a woman. She was short in height and looked extremely thin. Her hair was a fierce red and was pulled up in a ponytail. Her face was hard and cold with deep brown eyes. She had a curious smile that seemed to be laughing at you, yet she gave no sign of humor. She held the same arrogant aurora that Loraine Faire had. "Allow me to introduce my wife, Tiffany."

Still with the small curious smile on her face, she shook hands with both Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina. "Hello," she said, simply. Her voice was well projected and extremely clear.

A waiter came by and told Ja-Kal that a call was waiting for him. Ja-Kal excused himself and followed the waiter.

"Nefer-Tina is it?" Tiffany asked.

"Yes."

A waiter came by and took the dirty dishes from the table.

"What exactly is your profession, dear?" she inquired, in a small, kind voice. It was almost child-like, yet at the end it became harsh with the word "dear."

"I work in the Egyptian museum in San Francisco," Nefer-Tina replied.

"You do? I would have pictured you a model!" exclaimed Dan. His wife gave no sign of jealously or anger towards her husband.

"Well, I was going to be a model."

"What happened?" Tiffany asked.

"A friend helped me set my priorities straight." Nefer-Tina stated. That moment rang clear in Nefer-Tina's mind…

__

When she was going to leave the Sphinxto become a model, Ja-Kal sneaked into her room and tried to talk to her. 

"You don't understand, Ja-Kal! This is the first time in 3,000 years when I'm actually having fun!" she shouted.

"What about your duty, protecting prince Rapses? What about the others? They need you. **I **need you." 

He needed her. He said it himself. _Did he need her as a friend or more?_ she thought. Her thoughts were shattered by Tiffany's cry.

"Oh my god! Is that a mummy?!" she cried, pointing towards the door.

"What? Where?!" Nefer-Tina exclaimed and turned to get a clear view of where Tiffany was pointing. Nefer-Tina didn't believe that Rath or Armon could be here. They had to protect the prince. Although, the possibility of another mummy wasn't out, it still was chilling to think of the thought.

"Oh sorry! My mistake! My eyes were just playing games with me," she giggled. "Oh here comes Ja-Kal! Let's go, Dan. Let's leave them to their evening. Good-bye!"

"Right, bye Nefer-Tina!" Dan quickly kissed Nefer-Tina's hand, winked, and ran to catch up with his wife.

"What was that all about?" Ja-Kal asked.

Nefer-Tina shrugged her shoulders. She too was confused over the event.

"So who was the call from? I hope everything is all right back home," Nefer-Tina said.

Ja-Kal shook her head, "The phone was dead when I arrived there."

"That's weird," Nefer-Tina commented.

"Yes it is," Ja-Kal said, and took a sip from his iced tea. Ja-Kal shut his eyes and shook his head. "This tastes weird."

A frown formed on Nefer-Tina's small features, "That's strange. I thought you said you liked it?"

"Would you care for desert?" the waiter asked.

Ja-Kal looked at Nefer-Tina, non-verbally seeking her answer.

A smile lit up on her face, "Do you have any more of those messy sundaes?"

"Of course! We just got a new shipment around five today." The waiter turned and left Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina alone at the table.

The waiter returned with two messy sundaes a few moments later. "The food is on the house thanks to the marriage competition. Have a good evening." he said and simply left.

"Great! Now we can spend the money Rath gave us for shopping!" she squealed with delight. 

Ja-Kal crossed his arms at Nefer-Tina. "I highly doubt that we'll have time for shopping."

Nefer-Tina rolled her eyes at Ja-Kal. Then she proceeded to lick her lips at the delicious messy sundae in front of her.

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina ate their food in silence. Although it was not an awkward silence; each was busy eating their messy sundae.

"Nefer-Tina, I've been trying to tell you something all…" Ja-Kal began. As Ja-Kal was halfway through his sundae his spoon dropped.

Nefer-Tina looked up from her messy sundae, with her spoon in mouth, and mumbled, "What's wrong?"

Ja-Kal didn't answer. He clenched his teeth and held his head with his hands.

"Ja-Kal?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. She got up from the table and walked over to him.

When Nefer-Tina feels Ja-Kal's head; it was hot. He had a high fever.

"Ja-Kal, let's go back to the room." Her voice was distressed.

A waitress came by and asked what was wrong. Nefer-Tina turned to her and said Ja-Kal was sick. 

Before they left the restaurant, Ja-Kal reached into his pocket and left a tip for the waiter. _In pain and still leaves a tip, how noble is that?_ Nefer-Tina thought to herself. 

"Can you walk?" Nefer-Tina wearily asked.

He nodded, and Nefer-Tina held his arm, with her other hand over his shoulder. She was glad that he could stand on his own two feet, but it gave her cold comfort. 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

On the way towards the elevator, Mr. Rogers and his wife saw them.

"Oh dear, what's wrong?" Betsy Rogers asked.

"He's got a high fever and his head hurts, like a headache." Nefer-Tina felt Ja-Kal's head once again. His fever had gone up.

"I'll call a doctor to your room. What's the number?" Bill asked. A look of concern for his friend written on his face.

"445. Thank you and please hurry. His fever is going up."

Ja-Kal's teeth were still clenched. He felt as though his head was about to burst, and the fever wasn't helping. He felt extremely hot and sweaty.

When they entered the elevator, Ja-Kal felt himself getting weak and faint and slumped against Nefer-Tina. Nefer-Tina grunted from the weight. If she were still a mummy this would have been a piece of cake, but she's lost her powers now that she is alive again.

"Nefer-Tina, I have to tell you something before I'm interrupted again," he said, softly.

"Go ahead," Nefer-Tina replied, relieved that he was talking again, however, the grief still gnawed at her.

"I…I love you," Ja-Kal whispered.

"Ja-Kal, you're just delirious," Nefer-Tina stated, a tone of anguish hidden in her voice. _Ja-Kal, I know you're sick, but do not mess with my emotions. For the sake of Ra don't! _she screamed in her mind.

"No, but I really do love you. I love those sundaes. I love the wilderness too. And I love…" Ja-Kal blacked out. 

All of his weight fell upon Nefer-Tina and she hit the wall from the force.

****

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"Did you do it?"

"Of course. What do you think I'm stupid?!" he yelled.

"I didn't think we were going to do it, since you wouldn't stop gawking at her!"

"She was well-proportioned," he grinned, a perverse look on his face. "Listen, when you distracted her, I slipped the stuff in his drink. Don't worry, we'll win, my love!" he cooed, and leaned in to kiss her.

She moved back and spat at him in disgust. "I'm not your love, your wife, or your anything! Understand that!" she hissed.

"Ah, Tiffany dear, but according to our marriage document we are. We still need to consummate our marriage," he grinned. 

This time he groped her. She elbowed him in the gut and he let her go. "Get away from me you horny bastard!" she shouted. "You know perfectly well that those are fake. We're just here to collect the winnings," she said with her curious smile.

"With Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina outta the way, we'll be the fittest couple on the field," he stated.

"Isn't it the most perfect plan you have ever heard?"

"Very. Now come give daddy a kiss!"

Tiffany scowled at him. The man was extremely coarse when drunk, but even sober he was still barbaric. "When pigs fly!" she sneered.

"Well you ain't all that," he grumbled.

Tiffany pushed Dan off the bed and sent him flying onto the floor. Dan's arm connected with the floor and he grunted.

"Shit, Tiff! What did you do that for?" He gnashed his teeth, cradling his arm.

"Oh poor baby did I hurt you?" she lamented, caressing his arm. She could put any man under her little finger. It just meant pushing the right buttons. 

"Yes!" he exclaimed and pulled away from her.

__

Not so fast, Dan. I need you in order to get the jewel. Too bad you're so rudimentary. Ugh, I hope I didn't break your arm. I need your strength to win the competitions tomorrow! It doesn't look broken. Good. Damn! He's angry. I can't have you angry, Dan. Time to push the right buttons. 

"Dan, baby, I'm sorry. I'm just in a bad mood today," she pouted. 

She leaned closer to Dan and whispered, seductively, into his ear, "What do you want, baby? You know I can make whatever you want happen."

Danstudied Tiffany's face for a moment. Her deep brown eyes were sparkling.

"Do you want me to kiss it to make it all better?" she playfully teased. She placed several light kisses along his arm. She knew the urges she was evoking in Dan. She continued up from his arm, making a trail of small kisses up to his lips. She briefly stopped at the edge of his lower lip and pulled back to see his face. She saw want she wanted to see and smiled her curious smile. Dan was completely enchanted by Tiffany. He was at a breathless impatience. It was time for the final blow.

Tiffany grabbed the back on Dan's head and pulled him into her locking lips. Her tongue explored his mouth for what seemed an eternality. Dan was ecstatic; he was in paradise. He lips had an exigency for Tiffany's. His hands explored Tiffany's body, forgetting the pervious pain he felt in his arm. Finally, Tiffany pulled away from the long embrace.

She got up from the ground were Dan lay and said, "If you want any more of that, win me my jewel."

Dan got off the ground and looked a Tiffany, lust in his eyes, "You said I could have whatever I want after this, right?"

Tiffany nodded and went to lay on the bed. "Whatever you want," she said with a wink.

"I want Nefer-Tina."

Tiffany gasped in shook. Dan had a fancy for Nefer-Tina. _Interesting_, she thought. "That's not going to be easy," Tiffany stated in her usual calm demeanor.

"Winning this competition isn't going to be easy," he rebutted.

The two stood in a trance staring at each other, trying to see which one would give up first. When Tiffany saw that it would never end she agreed to give Nefer-Tina to him. It would just take a little more creative planning on her part.

"By the way, you're sleeping on the couch again," she said, giving him an arrogant smirk.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nefer-Tina had managed to get Ja-Kal into the hotel room and had placed him on the bed. She had wet a towel and placed it on his head to help the fever.

__

Knock! Knock!

"Oh, it must be the doctor. Hold on, Ja-Kal," she whispered.

Nefer-Tina left Ja-Kal's side and went to answer the door.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Carter," he greeted.

"Hello. Ja-Kal is on the bed, doctor," she informed, leading him to Ja-Kal.

Dr. Carter walked over and took a small flashlight and examined Ja-Kal's eyes.

Nefer-Tina stood behind the doctor with great anxiety written on her face.

"He blacked out on the elevator. He seemed delirious," she said, softly.

"Hmmm…When did he first start to feel the symptoms?" Dr. Carter asked, checking Ja-Kal's pulse.

"In the middle of when we were eating desert. It was a messy sundae."

"I've never know messy sundaes to get people sick, but you never know now and days with all these artificial ingredients," the doctor said, trying to cheer up the mood.

Nefer-Tina let a small laugh escape her lips. "I don't think he got a lot of rest last night. I think he missed breakfast too," she added.

Dr. Carter got up from the bed and walked over to Nefer-Tina. "It want to say it's fatigue, but I can't. He does show signs of fatigue, but he also has a high fever. Here are some pills to give to him for the headache. He should take one tonight and another tomorrow morning."

Nefer-Tina took the pills from the doctor.

"I would also advise you to keep him dressed in bare minimum, such as shorts, for tonight to help the fever go down. We want him to stay cool for the night. Oh, and make sure he eats breakfast from now on. Skipping meals is not healthy and especially the most important meal of the day," he concluded.

"Thank you, Dr. Carter."

Dr. Carter collected his things and walked out of the room.

Nefer-Tina stood motionless for a second. She had to undress Ja-Kal, yet she still had to respect his modesty.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nefer-Tina had easily taking Ja-Kal's coat, shirt, shoes, and socks. She stood over him, trying to figure out how she could get him out of his pants without actually seeing anything.

In the end she decided to cover his lower body with a sheets and pull his pants down at his feet. The hard part had been to unzip the pants, but Nefer-Tina had carefully succeeded.

Ja-Kal was now down to his boxers. At least, she thought they were boxers. Nefer-Tina couldn't really tell what they were from under the sheets.

She searched his clothes and found a pair of shorts. Carefully she slipped them on Ja-Kal. When she had finished she relaxed against the wall, exhausted from the long day.

Nefer-Tina tucked him into bed and pulled a chair next to him. She wet the towel again and applied it to his forehead.

After an hour, Ja-Kal's eyes opened. He looked extremely weak and worn out.

"Ja-Kal, you have to take a pill okay?" Nefer-Tina softly whispered.

He moved his head, and Nefer-Tina assumed it was a nod. She took the pill that Dr. Carter had given her and feed him the pill. She gave Ja-Kal a cup of water to help swallow it.

She spent another hour by his side, trying to comfort him. She ran her fingers through his wet hair and caressed his cheek. She would only leave his side to wet the towel on his forehead again.

The clock in the room showed the time to be midnight. Nefer-Tina yawned. She figured that they had entered the room at around nine.

Nefer-Tina's eyelids started to get heavy, but she kept herself awake. Finally, she saw that resistance to sleep was futile and that she needed to sleep for the athletic competitions.

Nefer-Tina gazed at the couch and sighed. She would have preferred the soft bed.

She had changed, brushed her teeth, and fixed up the couch to sleep on. Nefer-Tina laid on the bed pondering if Ja-Kal had really meant what he said. She dismissed the idea to the fact that he was most likely delirious. She tried to go to sleep, but found that she couldn't get comfortable on the couch. She kept tossing and turning, until she finally gave up and walked back to the chair next to Ja-Kal.

"I wonder what got you sick, Ja-Kal?" she questioned the room. She let a hand linger on his arm, but quickly pulled it away as he shifted.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Ja-Kal woke up and felt better. His headache still hurt, but not at the degree before. He couldn't remember much of the night before and blamed the sickness. Turning on his side made a wave of aggravation wash over him.

His vision was slightly hazy and couldn't clearly see the woman next to him. He rubbed his eyes in hopes of clearing them up. 

She had luscious raven black locks and a light tan complexion. The woman sighed and shifted closer to Ja-Kal. He felt a smooth leg rub against his own. 

Ja-Kal was frozen. He had no idea what had transpired the night before. In his mind he was wondering were Nefer-Tina was and what he was doing in bed with a strange woman. He looked down at himself and found that his shirt was missing and his body was covered in sweat. He pulled the sheets up and looked down at himself. He breathed a sign of relief. He still had his shorts on. Wait! He wasn't wearing any shorts last night.

He glanced over at the hazy looking woman besides him. She was covered up to her neck in the sheets, firmly wrapped in them like a mummy. He couldn't tell if she was clothed and was too polite to find out.

He rubbed his eyes once again and he was able to see clearly. 

Ja-Kal swallowed a lump in his throat. 

The woman next to him was Nefer-Tina and she had a pleasant smile on her face.

****

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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A/N ~~ On the next chapter, the athletic competition takes place with a few surprises! Plus, you get to find out why Nefer-Tina is sharing a bed with Ja-Kal!


	5. Shadows

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A/N ~~ NEVER FEAR, TIGEREVE IS HERE!! I hope none of you thought that I abandoned this fic. I had a major case of stress from all the homework I've been getting and writer's block! *gasp* I hope you enjoy this chapter. It answers a lot of questions, including the most important one: Does Ja-Kal love Nefer-Tina? Well maybe you've already known that, but if you haven't here it is! 

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Happy Holidays!! 

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Disclaimer ~~ I am in now way affiliated with the cartoon series, "Mummies Alive!" or the DIC Corporation, and any of its affiliates. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only. This fanfic and its author do not intend to infringe on any copyrights. 

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On to the fanfic!

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Chapter 5: Shadows

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Ja-Kal carefully rose from the bed; he did not want to wake Nefer-Tina. He walked into the bathroom and splashed a handful of cold water on his face. His memory was still hazy. He had no idea what had transpired last night. All he knew is that he woke up barely dressed with Nefer-Tina lying next to him.

Ja-Kal rubbed his head and tried to make sense of everything. The words "I love you" echoed in his head. Did he truly reveal to Nefer-Tina that he loved her? Although it pained him, he had finally come to terms with his feelings. He never loved Tia. He only married her because of a silly crush he had on her. A crush he thought was true love. When he married her and felt that he didn't love her anymore, he pushed those thoughts aside. The reason Ja-Kal would always spend most of his day working was because, subconsciously, he couldn't stand the lie he was living with Tia. Ja-Kal would still act as though he loved his wife and would sometimes make love to her, yet in the back of his mind he knew he could never love Tia. Divorce was acceptable, but he couldn't believe he had failed at something in his life. It broke Ja-Kal's heart when he found out Tia was pregnant. He had brought a child into a loveless marriage. A marriage which he could not escape, since divorce was now no longer an option. Although he did truly love his son. His son made his life much brighter and happier. 

"Ja-Kal?" Nefer-Tina yawned, eyes half closed. She stood in the frame of the bathroom door; once again wearing the extra pair of pajamas Ja-Kal had given her. 

"Does your head still hurt?" she asked as concern washed over her face. "Let me see if you still have a fever." Nefer-Tina extended her hands towards Ja-Kal's forehead. Upon contact, Ja-Kal flinched. He felt the difference between her cool hand and his warm forehead.

Nefer-Tina turned away from him and walked to the drawer. On top was a plastic bottle, which Nefer-Tina grabbed and opened. "Here take one of these to help," she instructed, giving a half smile.

Ja-Kal did as told and swallowed the pill. Then, he walked towards Nefer-Tina, stopping only a few inches away. "Nefer-Tina, can I ask you a question?" he stuttered.

"Oh," she simply replied. "You mean about what happened last night." 

Ja-Kal nodded.

Nefer-Tina walked over to the bed and sat down. "Well, after you passed out on the elevator, I brought you to the room. The doctor came and couldn't find out what was ailing you, but told me for you to take those pills," she said solemnly. She paused for a moment and let a sigh escape her lips. He eyes stared at the floor. "Then he told me that you should sleep in just a pair of shorts and left. So I had to, um, undress you and put the shorts on you."

Ja-Kal leaned against the wall, taking in all that she had just told him.

"Don't worry, I didn't see anything I shouldn't have!" she quickly added. Nefer-Tina fiddled with a sheet near her, "Then I just kept you company until I was tried. I got ready and made my bed on the couch, but I was having trouble sleeping so I came back to your side." 

Nefer-Tina's mind flashed back to the night before…

__

Ja-Kal had shifted, but was still asleep. Nefer-Tina laughed at herself for frightening so easily. 

Ja-Kal was profusely sweating, trying to break the fever. Nefer-Tina could see he was struggling with the pain of both a headache and fever.

"I pray to goddess Isis, please help heal Ja-Kal," she whispered silently.

She gazed at Ja-Kal and wanted to hold him in her arms, but feared that moving him would make him worst.

Nefer-Tina shifted uncomfortably in the chair. She was stressed out from the day and the many emotions that came with it. Love, anger, fear, happiness, concern, and confusion. 

She got up from the chair, but Ja-Kal stopped her. "Nefer-Tina, don't leave me," he whimpered.

She hushed him, "Go to sleep, Ja-Kal."

His eyes looked up weakly at her. Nefer-Tina sighed. She was tried, but she could lie on the other side of the bed until Ja-Kal fell asleep.

Ja-Kal did eventually go to sleep, but so did Nefer-Tina. Nefer-Tina had lain on top of the sheets, but during the course of the night she grew cold and slid under the sheets.

"I slept on the bed on accident. I thought I could just lie on the other side for awhile. You looked so sick; I was worried. I guess I fell asleep and wrapped the sheets around me."

Ja-Kal breathed a sign of relief. He hadn't slept with Nefer-Tina, thank Ra! The only thought that pained him was that Nefer-Tina didn't mention what he had told her. He now clearly remembered that he had told her he loved her. She didn't believe him. Did that mean that she didn't love him in return? 

"What did you think happened?" Her rosy mouth curved into a mischievous smile. 

Ja-Kal shook his head, not wanting to answer the question. 

Nefer-Tina's face turned more serious. "Ja-Kal, did you eat breakfast yesterday? How many hours of sleep did you get?" she asked, softly.

Ja-Kal walked away from her. He didn't want her to think he was irresponsible.

She crossed her arms and lectured, "You didn't eat breakfast, did you? I bet sleeping on the couch didn't help you sleep either."

He responded to her with silence. 

"Fine," she said, giving up.

"I'm going to go to the gym," he informed her. 

When he got up, Nefer-Tina grabbed his arm. "I can't let you. You are still sick and need to rest," she ordered.

"Nefer-Tina I haven't missed a day in my daily routine for as long as I can remember and I am not going to stop now," he rebutted.

Nefer-Tina let go of his arm, "Okay, but I'm coming with you. I'm going to make sure you don't stress yourself out too much." She walked towards the bathroom to change into more appropriate clothes, "Besides, I need to warm up for the athletic competitions today."

Ja-Kal faced Nefer-Tina. He opened his mouth to tell her he was going alone, but stopped. She had a stern look on her face and her arms were on her hips. He knew that Nefer-Tina meant what she had said and nothing was going to change her mind.

"You may come," he simply said.

Nefer-Tina smiled triumphantly. 

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The gym was a large room filled with a great variety of equipment. The room was filled with heavy breathing and grunts from several people. The room was quickly warming up from all the people sweating. Ja-Kal was in shorts and a T-shirt and Nefer-Tina was in shorts and a small sleeveless shirt that revealed a portion of her stomach.

"What's all this stuff for?" Nefer-Tina curiously asked, fiddling with some weights. 

Ja-Kal looked down at Nefer-Tina and replied, "Those are weights. You lift them."

"Do they really need all these machines in order to exercise?" she asked, rhetorically. Nefer-Tina was baffled at all the machines in the room. Things were much simpler in Egypt.

Ja-Kal decided to lift some weights. Nefer-Tina sat next to him and decided to follow suit.

After Ja-Kal had finished a set, he sat the weight down. Suddenly the world became hazy to him. Nefer-Tina noticed, and setting her weight down, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ja-Kal…" she said, softly. Nefer-Tina's face was full of concern. 

"I'm okay. I think the pills are having a side effect on me," he declared.

__

Ja-Kal, why do you have to be so damn proud, she thought. "Please promise me that you'll take it easy, Ja-Kal. The prince would not want you to get sick. Don't worry. I don't think the competitions will pose such a challenge," she said. "I mean we are the best guardians ever," Nefer-Tina grinned. 

"I would not take things lightly, Nefer-Tina. Our main goal is to protect the prince," Ja-Kal stated.

"I know, I know. I've heard it a million times."

"That means we must put our all into this," he said in a stern tone.

Nefer-Tina hated it when Ja-Kal went into his "leader mode". She just nodded in reply.

As Ja-Kal rubbed his eyes with his hand he noticed out of the corner of his eye a figure in the corner of the gym. He looked up in that direction and saw no one, besides a few people running on treadmills. Turning to his right, he saw Nefer-Tina's intent gaze on him. 

When the moment became too intense, they both darted their eyes towards the floor.

Nefer-Tina cleared her throat and asked, "So, um, what else can we do to prepare for the competitions?"

Ja-Kal replied, "Well this gym has a great variety of training tools available."

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina spent another hour in the gym warming up for the long day ahead of them. The awkwardness between the two slowly started to disappear. They had an enjoyable time free of any stress or pressure to act as a married couple. 

Ja-Kal kept seeing a figure watching them, yet whenever he turned to see who it was there would be no one there. The idea that some unknown stranger was watching them sent chills down Ja-Kal's spine and he decided to be more alert. If Nefer-Tina also saw someone watching them, she gave no sign. Ja-Kal decided not to tell her, incase he was just being paranoid. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in San Francisco, Presley was laying down on a couch. Large ostrich feathers magically fanned him.

"This is the life," Presley said yawning, and turned over on his side. 

The Sphinx was lavishly decorated. Rich tapestries covered the walls. The rooms sparkled when the rays of the sun touched the exotic jewels sporadically placed in the Sphinx.

Armon was stationed in a very expensive couch watching a wide screen television. Some drool drifted down the corner of his mouth as large pictures of beefy burgers were shown on the television.

"The power of George Washington is great!" exclaimed Armon with a huge smile.

"Young prince, I do not think it is wise to indulge in such luxury. When Ja-Kal comes back he will surely order us to remove everything," Rath said, arms crossed.

Presley showed no sign of listening to him. So, Rath angrily waved his hands in front of the large ostrich feathers, stopping the enchantment they were under.

Feeling the loss of the flow of air to his face, Presley woke up startled. 

"Huh?!"

He looked up at his guardian, Rath, who didn't look too pleased.

"What?" Presley asked, well knowing what had gotten Rath peeved. 

"My prince, you must persist in these activities," Rath demanded. "You have done none of your homework."

"Couldn't you do it?" came the simple reply from Presley.

Sensing that Rath did not find it amusing, Presley got up. Rath grinned and basked in his victory over the young prince. Unfortunately for Rath, Presley had one last trick up his sleeve. 

"Fine, but I guess that means your entire collection of books that you got must also go back," Presley said matter-of-factly, a victorious grin hidden in his features.

Rath dropped his head in defeat. "Fine, you can keep everything for now at least. But when Ja-Kal returns, everything, " he said and turned towards Armon, "and I mean everything must go back."

Rath turned away from the richly decorated room and walked towards his study in order to spend some quality time with his books.

Before Rath left the room, Presley cleared his throat and said, pointing towards the fallen ostrich feathers piled on the ground, "The feathers?"

Rath rolled his eyes and grumbled a small spell causing the rich ostrich feathers to levitate up and begin fanning Presley.

Presley smiled and settled back into the soft couch mumbling, "Besides I'm sure that Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina are having a luxurious time too."

****

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Nefer-Tina grabbed her stomach in pain. She had done 100 push-ups, 100 pull-ups, and 200 crunches. Ja-Kal had stated one of them had to be in top condition in order to ensure their chance of winning the athletic competitions. Since Ja-Kal was still weak from his illness, Nefer-Tina had volunteered to follow Ja-Kal's daily exercise routine. Of course she hadn't know how difficult the work out was going to be. In fact, Ja-Kal had failed to mention at the beginning that she would be doing it twice! Her muscles ached and burned from the strenuous work out as she walked to the café for breakfast.

Ja-Kal was quite surprised by Nefer-Tina. He had never expected her to be able to do his exercise routine once, let alone twice. He looked over at the charioteer, who was trying to walk with grace, but failed miserably. Perhaps Nefer-Tina had overdone it when exercising. He was the leader and it was his job to take care of Nefer-Tina not the other way around.

After spending some time in the gym, Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina had gone up to their room. They showered and changed into some causal clothes. Today was the day of the athletic competitions. Now they were on their way to eat breakfast.

Ja-Kal opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it. Nefer-Tina seemed intently focused on something in her mind and he did not want to disturb her.

The couple continued down the long, quiet hall without conversation. The hotel was mostly empty save a few early birds walking around and employees.

The silent moment was destroyed when Nefer-Tina's stomach growled. Nefer-Tina blushed and rubbed her abdomen. 

"Sorry," she squeaked.

Neither spoke after. A soft silence surrounded the two. Only the voices of two male employees walking past the couple broke the awkward silence.

Ja-Kal cleared his throat and said, "Nefer-Tina, I hope that you haven't overworked yourself."

She stopped walking, facing Ja-Kal and replied, "I'm fine don't worry."

Once again out of the corner of his eye, a figure kept close watch.

Sensing the more serious appearance Ja-Kal's face took, Nefer-Tina tensed up. The only time she saw Ja-Kal get like that was when they were about to be attacked. 

"What is it?" she asked anxiously.

He walked closer to Nefer-Tina and whispered into her ear, "Someone's following us."

Nefer-Tina could feel the heat radiating from Ja-Kal's face. Her breaths deepened and her pulse raced.

Ja-Kal enclosed Nefer-Tina in a warm hug, as an old lady walked by and smiled at the sight. At first Nefer-Tina was startled and tense, but soon loosened up at his touch and enjoyed it. She wondered what Ja-Kal was doing. 

That question was soon answered. "Pretend I'm whispering something romantic." 

Nefer-Tina softly nodded and wrapped her arms around Ja-Kal. Her arms trembled at this new experience. She'd never been this close to a man before.

"Relax," Ja-Kal whispered, slowly caressing her raven black hair. He couldn't help be take in the lovely smell of her hair. The aroma was so enchanting. 

His trance was broken by Nefer-Tina's voice. "Ja-Kal, who's following us?"

"I'm not sure. Now giggle." Nefer-Tina obeyed and a soft giggle escaped her lips. 

"I saw someone spying on us in the gym," Ja-Kal said keeping an eye on the stranger. "Do you see somebody?"

Nefer-Tina scanned the hall and couldn't find anyone. "No," she replied and then giggled as she saw a family walk by.

She could feel Ja-Kal's hot breath on the back of her neck as he spoke.

"What time is it?"

"Around 8:30," Nefer-Tina said, breaking away from Ja-Kal. She smoothed out her shirt and pants.

Ja-Kal grabbed Nefer-Tina by the arm and pulled her along. "We better go eat something."

"Could Scarab be here trying to get the gem of Ra?" Nefer-Tina asked, in a worried tone.

"I'm not sure, but we better keep our guard up from now on. I don't want you leaving my side unless its absolutely necessary, got it?" 

"Right," she said, nodding her head.

****

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The fierce red head was pissed, extremely pissed. She needed to hurt someone or something. That object of rage happened to be a vase. Tiffany picked up the vase filled with dark red roses and threw it at the wall. In her rage she accidentally handled a rose by its thorns.

"Shit!" she cried. Her finger suddenly became stained with her dark red blood.

Tiffany quickly sucked on her finger trying to rid any trace of the blood on her finger. She hated to see blood, including her own.

Dan came out from behind the bed. His eyes darting around the room searching for any flying projectiles.

"You!" she hissed, grabbing another object and throwing it at him.

Dan ducked, barely missing the thing she threw at him. 

"Calm down, Tiff!" he called out.

"How dare you tell me what to do, you idiot! You're the one that screwed up and now your precious little blow-up doll and her husband are still in the competition!"

"I gave him the poison!" Dan defended. He covered his face incase another object flew in his direction.

Tiffany growled at him, "You were also supposed to keep the doctor busy so he couldn't cure Ja-Kal!"

"Oops!" Dan ducked again as a phone came crashing behind him on the wall.

Satisfied with the scare she had given Dan, Tiffany composed herself and said, "At least you've weaken him. Getting that beautiful gem won't be that hard."

"And then I get my part of the deal," Dan said, still somewhat nervous about Tiffany.

She sighed, "Yes, and then you'll get her." Tiffany's face became hardened. "Just remember that if you screw up during the rest of the competition you can kiss it all goodbye." 

"I know."

"Good," she said, licking her lips. 

She was about to walk out of the room, when she suddenly remembered something. "Oh Danny, go down to the lobby and see what exactly we have to do for the athletic portion."

"Sure," he replied in a flat tone.

As soon as Dan left, a wicked smile filled her features. Looking around the room to make sure absolutely no one was there, she walked over to a chest. The chest was totally black with the golden emblem of a black widow on the top.

She slowly lifted the chest open and pulled out a blood red mirror with carvings of spiders around it. On top of the mirror itself was a large black widow.

Tiffany whispered something in a long lost tongue. Her normally brown eyes flashed a bloodthirsty red. The black widow on the mirror snapped open its eyes and crawled behind the mirror. 

"Yes my pet, its time for mommy to have a little chat with that loser," she said, softly placed the mirror on a table.

"Scarab!" she hissed at the mirror.

"What is it woman?!" came the sharp reply from the mirror. Scarab said the word "woman" in a condescending tone.

"I'm the one keeping you alive you old fool, so you better behave."

A groan was heard from the mirror. Scarab hated relying on others, and the fact that it was a woman made it most awful.

"The souls of those mummies will keep me alive and young forever," she grinned.

"Don't forget I want Rapses' soul!" 

Tiffany rolled her eyes. "This human male I have helping me is a total barbarian. That will make my job harder."

"Why don't you just steal the gem of Ra and use it on Rapses and his guardians?!"

She cocked her eyebrow at the mirror, "Oh please, where's the fun in that?"

"You just want to toy with the mummies' minds."

"Maybe," she said, tracing a finger down the side of the mirror. _Ja-Kal does look somewhat tempting_.

A huff comes out of the mirror causing Tiffany's lip to curl up angrily. "What I do with the mummies is my business," she shouted, tightly gripping the mirror. "Besides, your little spy got caught today by Ja-Kal."

"I would have made a better spy, but this mirror you have me in limits my magic."

"Oh blame the mirror! Your magic is already weak. It's the mirror that is keeping you alive."

Suddenly, Tiffany heard the door open and she slammed down the mirror.

"What are you doing?" Dan asked, eyeing the blood red mirror.

"Just fixing myself in the mirror," she said, giving a fake smile. The tone in her voice became more cheerful as opposed to the anger it previous held.

Dan silently questioned her about the large black widow on the back of the mirror.

"I like spiders."

Dan rubbed his head. Tiffany sure had a strange fetish for spiders.

"Come on, everyone is ready for breakfast now," he said, grabbing her arm. 

****

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"Ja-Kal, over here!" Bill Rogers shouted. 

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina walked over to the table Bill occupied with his wife.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers," Nefer-Tina pleasantly said.

"Why hello dear," Mrs. Rogers replied.

"You two ready for the day's events?" Bill asked.

The couple nodded in response.

"Remember that the activities are more then just about physical strength. It has more to do with teamwork between the couple."

"Thank you for your advice Bill," Ja-Kal said, shaking hands with him.

"Are you going to the ball tonight Nefer-Tina?" Betsy Rogers asked.

"I'd love to go, but its really up to Ja-Kal to decided," Nefer-Tina replied. With a stranger following them around, going to a ball did not seem to be the best idea at the moment. Nefer-Tina hoped that Ja-Kal was just being extremely paranoid. The thought of Scarab being there was not a pleasant thought. Especially when they were only at half force with Rath and Armon in San Francisco. 

Betsy Rogers whispered to Nefer-Tina, "Going to the ball gives you extra points with the judges."

Nefer-Tina gasped at the prospect. Her eyes widened and silently asked if it was true. Betsy just nodded her head.

Both couples shook hands and went their separate ways.

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina sat down at a near-by table.

"I believe the hotel has a buffet during breakfast. The prince said we just need to pay once and are entitled to all the food we can eat," Ja-Kal stated.

Nefer-Tina grinned, "Armon would love this place."

"He'd put them out of business," Ja-Kal added.

After a second, both burst out laughing, calling the attention of the people around them. They calmed down and held in their laughter. _It feels good to laugh_, Nefer-Tina thought.

A waiter came by the table and asked, "Ready to order?"

"We'll be having the buffet," Ja-Kal said, reaching into his pocket and taking out his wallet.

"Okay, plates are over there. That'll be $13.65, sir." 

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina walked over to the buffet line to get their food.

Half an hour later, both had finished eating. Dan Hickey and Tiffany walked by the table. Dan had that same overconfident grin on his face. Tiffany seemed peeved, but then slowly relaxed her face into a calmer appearance.

Dan nodded in Ja-Kal's direction and then took Nefer-Tina's hands and gently kissed it.

"Hello Dan," she softly said.

Ja-Kal's face became stiff at the mention of his name.

"Why Nefer-Tina you are looking as splendid as always!" he exclaimed, caressing her face.

Nefer-Tina became startled by his touch. Ja-Kal saw the exchange between the two and decided to intervene. 

"So Dan, I guess your wife is a shy one."

"Yeah, Tiffany isn't such a people person. Isn't that right, baby?"

Tiffany smiled up at Dan and landed a kiss on his cheek.

"You must be Ja-Kal," Tiffany said calmly. 

Dan paid no attention to Tiffany or Ja-Kal and kept his eyes on Nefer-Tina.

Tiffany looked over at Dan and mentally sighed. _That sick bastard must be mentally undressing her and who knows what else._

"So Nefer-Tina think you have a shot at winning the athletic competitions?" Tiffany asked, almost in a challenging tone.

She touched her stomach and replied, "After all the work I've been through, I'm ready for anything." _So bring it on_, she mused.

Dan smiled looking at Ja-Kal, "I'm not sure if your husband can take the challenge. He might be worried about other problems."

Tiffany jabbed Dan in the gut. _Shut up you fool! He must not know that we are responsible for the shadow following him._

Ja-Kal formed a fist under the table. "Don't worry Dan, I can handle whatever comes."

The eyes of the two women darted between Ja-Kal and Dan. Nefer-Tina took one last bite out of her food, while watching. Tiffany's weak figure stood motionless next to the table.

Tiffany grinned at the once dead mummy, Ja-Kal. _I like a fighter._ "I'm sure we'll all have a blast."

Dan opened his mouth to say something, but Tiffany cut him off. "Time to go eat. See you later!" she shouted and walked off with Dan.

Nefer-Tina placed her napkin down and took a sip of her drink.

After Dan and Tiffany left, Ja-Kal bluntly said, "I think Dan Hickey has been following us."

Nefer-Tina almost spat out her drink from the abruptness. 

"What?! But why?"

"I have reason to believe that it could be him," Ja-Kal defended.

"Well I don't think its him."

"Do you like him?" Ja-Kal asked, jealously hidden in his voice.

"What do you have against him? He seems like a nice guy," Nefer-Tina said, crossing her arms.

Ja-Kal leaned in closer to Nefer-Tina, "I don't like him looking at you the way he does."

"You're not in charge of my life!"

"As long as this competition is going, I am. Or are you forgetting why we're here in the first place?"

"No," Nefer-Tina silently said. Ja-Kal was right. She had to act like she was a faithful wife to Ja-Kal. That meant not being receptive to the affections of other men. 

Although that didn't matter to Nefer-Tina. The man of her life was already her husband, even if it wasn't for real.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Bus five is loading up! All participants of Cupids Marriage competition please enter the bus! Once the bus is full, please wait for another bus to come," shouted the woman in the blue suit.

The crowd of couples walked up to the bus and rushed to get the best seats. Even the older couples acted like children when trying to get a good seat.

"Come on Ja-Kal, I want to get a seat!" Nefer-Tina gleefully cried, pulling along Ja-Kal with a less then amused appearance.

Nefer-Tina was excited to compete in the athletic competitions. She knew she could handle most physical tests. Nefer-Tina wanted to make up for her faults during the interview. She could not fail her prince. If they failed to get the gem of Ra they would lose the soul of the prince forever and Scarab would win.

Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina sat in the middle of the bus. They were almost at the park were the competitions were to be held.

Nefer-Tina gazed over and looked at Ja-Kal. He was sleeping with his head rested on the window. Nefer-Tina smiled to herself as she looked at his peaceful appearance.

Nefer-Tina started to close her eyes, when Ja-Kal's body jerked and startled her. Ja-Kal was breathing heavily and his face was red.

Nefer-Tina placed a warm hand on his shoulder for comfort and support.

Ja-Kal swallowed a lump in his throat, and said with a shaky tone, "I'm fine, Nefer-Tina."

The bus came to a sudden halt and various dreamers awoke. The noise level in the bus rose dramatically.

"Looks like we're here," Ja-Kal announced, and rose from his seat.

Nefer-Tina nodded and also rose. "Take it easy Ja-Kal," she whispered.

Outside, the wind started to pick up into a light breeze. Some of Nefer-Tina's long black hair flew into her face. 

Music from a loud speaker was heard in all directions. The music faded out and was replaced with a strong male voice.

"Welcome everyone, to the athletic portion. Most of you probably already know what each event is about. Just incase you haven't heard, we've decided on a new addition to the events. A chariot race!!"

A gasp was heard in the crowd.

"Did you hear that, Ja-Kal?! A chariot race!" Nefer-Tina was ecstatic. She would be able to once again experience her love for the chariot race.

"I hope everyone hear has a wonderful time. Best of luck to all." The director turned off the microphone and the music once again filled the air.

Ja-Kal smiled. He knew Nefer-Tina could beat anyone in this competition including him in a chariot race. The chances of winning the gem were looking up. If Nefer-Tina has good experience in most the event then his weakness wouldn't effect their chances after all.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Let's kick tut!" Nefer-Tina joyfully exclaimed as she hopped along the track.

The first event was a potato sack race. At the halfway point she would hand the sack to Ja-Kal.

The cold air blew defiantly in her face. Nefer-Tina smiled at the sour looks other women had on their faces. Unlike her, other participates were having trouble with the sack. She was almost about to reach Ja-Kal, when the ground seemed to lift up to her face. She had tripped over a rock and fallen on her face. 

Inwardly groaning at the pain, Nefer-Tina struggled to rise up. Ja-Kal's shouts of encouragement gave her extra strength. With a large red mark on the front of her face, she got out of the sack.

Ja-Kal grabbed the brown sack and began hopping. He was behind two other men. Suddenly the man to his right hit the ground. Ja-Kal quickly gained a place in the race. He was only 7 feet away from finish line. 

"Come on, Ja-Kal! You can do it!" came the cries from Nefer-Tina. A lady to her left also gave shouts of praise and encouragement to her husband.

Nefer-Tina saw this as a challenge, and the two women began to have a contest to see who could rally the loudest for their respective partners.

Ja-Kal smiled. He had forgotten how childish Nefer-Tina could be at times. Ja-Kal then turned his mind and totally focused on the task ahead. Getting to the finish line. 

The man in front of him was really agile. Ja-Kal grinned. He would just have to be better.

Ja-Kal used his strength to propel him farther. His legs coiled up for a second and then shot out into the air. He landed with a thud and regained his balance and coiled up again. The hunter was quickly gaining ground.

The man in front turned to see the opposition behind him. He grew more nervous and fearful of losing the race, so he quickened his hops. This was a careless mistake on his part. He was now vulnerable to losing his balance. The man's legs collapsed before him and he fell to the ground with a large thud. He was only a foot away from the finish line.

Nefer-Tina shirked in pure joy as Ja-Kal crossed the finish line in first place. 

"You made it!" 

Nefer-Tina ran to him and gave him a huge hug. The force of the embrace knocked Ja-Kal down as he brought Nefer-Tina down with him. Nefer-Tina let a giggle escape her lips as she laid next to him.

"Was there ever a doubt?" Ja-Kal smirked.

The two laughed at the remark. They remained on the ground and smiled at each other, not saying a word. The only sound they made was their heavy breathing. Noticing the uncomfortable looks they were receiving from the people around them, they quickly got up. Ja-Kal brushed off some dirt and got out of the brown sack he was still in.

"Ready for the next event?" she inquired, brushing her black hair with her hand.

"Is the lion always ready for the prowl?"

Nefer-Tina rolled her eyes. 

An employee from the Marriage Competition came by and wrote down the names of the winners.

"Are you thirsty? I am. Let's go get a drink!" Nefer-Tina grabbed Ja-Kal by the arm and pulled him along. The smile still remained on her exotic features.

They walked over to a large steel blue bucket filled with ice. They each grabbed a bottle of water.

Ja-Kal held up the opened water bottle and said, "To the prince, Rath, and Armon!"

Nefer-Tina nodded her head and tapped her bottle with Ja-Kal's. "And to a successful mission!" she said with an amused grin.

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TO BE CONTINUED…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N ~~ Next chapter, the rest of the competitions take place and it's time for the ball!


End file.
